Professors and students at Columbia University lashed out after spotting a Border Patrol recruitment event on the Ivy League institution’s jobs page.
The outrage began when a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) virtual career expo appeared on the School of Professional Studies website, according to the New York Post. The Feb. 18 event promised access to thousands of Department of Homeland Security positions.
Journalism professors led the backlash. “Capitulation,” professor Helen Benedict wrote on social media, according to the New York Post. “Columbia is recruiting for ICE. Alumni write in now. Cancel donations.” Professor Nina Berman offered her own assessment: “The depravity is bottomless.” (RELATED: Faculty At Major University Vow To ‘Resist’ Trump’s ICE, Declare ‘Sanctuary Union’)
A faculty coalition claimed the posting made community members “feel targeted or unsafe” and accused the university of being “complicit in the turn towards authoritarianism,” the outlet reported. The school’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter accused Columbia of “actively facilitating the recruitment” of border agents.
Columbia scrubbed the promotional page by the end of the day on Feb. 11, though the virtual event will still take place.
Woke Columbia students and faculty rage over ICE recruiting on campus https://t.co/fIMpwGe4SH pic.twitter.com/5S2OZ9sEOw
— New York Post (@nypost) February 15, 2026
University officials told Fox News the listing appeared through 12twenty, a third-party recruitment platform that also features job postings from the CDC, EPA, FBI, and other federal agencies. Columbia said the posting should not be viewed as an endorsement.
Not everyone supported the removal. Retired teacher Rich Candia argued that blocking the posting denied students access to legitimate career opportunities, according to amNY.
“This is quite hypocritical because the schools promote ‘choice’ but they are denying choice when they hinder the posting of such employment,” Candia said.
Columbia is not alone. CBP has withdrawn from career fairs at several other universities after student pressure, including Saint Louis University, Villanova, and the University of Maine, Inside Higher Ed reported.