Columbia pulls CBP career expo promotion after faculty objections
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Columbia University has pulled its promotion of a Department of Homeland Security virtual career fair after faculty members objected that advertising the event amounted to supporting “authoritarianism.”
The event, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Virtual Career Fair scheduled for February 18, invites potential applicants to chat online with recruiters about careers in federal law enforcement. According to the New York Post, the event advertised that multiple Department of Homeland Security agencies would be present.
Mail I quoted a statement An unnamed faculty coalition argued that promoting the event “undermines campus trust, causes segments of our community to feel targeted or unsafe, and further damages Columbia’s public reputation by reinforcing the view that we are complicit in a turn to authoritarianism.”
“Silence will be read as consent,” the coalition said.
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Protesters, mostly students, demanding greater protection from ICE actions are arrested by New York police after blocking a street outside Columbia University in New York City on February 5, 2026. (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In response to criticism, Columbia University officials said the listing was not an endorsement of the event, which was posted on the School of Professional Studies’ (SPS) Career Design Lab website through 12twenty, an external online recruiting platform that provides students and graduates with access to job postings and recruiting events from a broad network of employers.
The University stated, “SPS and the University do not control or select employers available on the 12twenty network. Job opportunities or career fair events presented on the platform should not be construed as a sponsorship or endorsement by SPS or the University. These events are held virtually and no student is required to attend.” he said.
He noted that the 12twenty platform includes a variety of employers, including the CDC, EPA, FBI, FDA, FEMA, and other federal agencies such as the IRS.
A student goes through security at Columbia University. (Fox News Digital’s Rashid Umar Abbasi.)
In an updated statement released Feb. 11, Columbia said the Career Design Lab website will now only highlight SPS-hosted events, but students and alumni will still be able to access a broader range of external opportunities through the 12twenty platform.
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New York City-based news outlet amNY I talked to Retired teacher Rich Candia, who advocated for the career fair and argued that students should have access to information about federal law enforcement and career opportunities.
“This is quite hypocritical because schools encourage ‘choice’ but deny option when they prevent such employment from being advertised,” Candia said in a statement to the press. he said. “There will be opposition to many issues, but by not supporting the effectiveness of the federal government, they are denying the segment of students who may have a deep interest in this particular source of income.”
