Marriott, Hilton Seek Permission to Hire More Legal Immigrants

USA Today: As the economy rebounds and hotel giants expect to hire more employees, Marriott and Hilton Worldwide are among the large companies seeking to boost the number of legal immigrant workers they're allowed to hire, according to a Bloomberg News piece that also looks at campaign contribution patterns. The hotel companies want increases in worker visas and more employment-based "green cards" - proof of permanent residency in the U.S. that can allow for a lifetime career, the story says. Jonas Neihardt, a lobbyist for McLean, Virginia-based Hilton, tells Bloomberg News that Hilton hopes to see changes - including a simpler system to verify a worker's legal status - before the economy improves and travel further rebounds. "We're anticipating when things get better, we'll need more of those types of workers," Neihardt told Bloomberg News. By more than a 5-to-1 margin, campaign contributions from Marriott International CEO J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr. are flowing toward Republicans this year, Bloomberg news says. Marriott's donations include $53,100 to Republican Party committees and candidates, vs. $9,600 to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.