Hotels Ramp Up Background Checks As DHS/ICE Enforcement Tightens; H‑2B Cap Squeeze Drives Multi‑Visa Hiring

U.S. hotels, heavily reliant on foreign-born labor, are responding to tighter DHS/ICE enforcement and repeated H‑2B cap hits by increasing background checks, strengthening I‑9 compliance, and diversifying recruitment across H‑2B, J‑1, and EB‑3. Regional dependency (resort markets, gateway cities) heightens vulnerability to visa limits. Operators are building internal talent pipelines, cross-training staff, and using analytics to plan around visa variability, while industry leaders push for visa reform.