Columbia University Faces Backlash Over Border Patrol Recruitment Event
At Columbia University, both professors and students expressed strong disapproval of a Border Patrol recruitment event that appeared on the school’s job portal.
The criticism started when the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Virtual Career Expo was listed on the College of Professional Studies website. This event, scheduled for February 18, promised access to numerous positions within the Department of Homeland Security, as reported by the New York Post.
Journalism instructors were at the forefront of the backlash. Professor Helen Benedict took to social media, declaring, “Surrender. Columbia is hiring ICE. Alumni, please contact us now. Cancel your donation.” Another professor, Nina Berman, expressed that “the depravity is bottomless.”
The faculty’s union suggested that the job listing made community members feel “targeted and unsafe,” further accusing the university of complicity in a rise toward authoritarianism. Meanwhile, the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter criticized Columbia for “actively promoting the recruitment” of Border Patrol agents.
Although Columbia removed the promotional page by the end of February 11, the virtual event will still proceed as planned.
University representatives clarified that the listing had been posted through 12twenty, a third-party job platform that also features listings from other federal agencies like the CDC, EPA, and FBI. They emphasized that the university did not endorse the event.
Not everyone agreed with the decision to remove the listing. Rich Candia, a former instructor, argued that blocking such posts could limit students’ access to legitimate job opportunities. “This is completely hypocritical because schools encourage ‘choice,’ and to prevent such employment is to deny choice,” he stated.
Columbia isn’t alone in this. The CBP has also pulled out of career fairs at other institutions, including Saint Louis University, Villanova University, and the University of Maine, in response to student pressures.
