Columbia University decided to withdraw its promotion of a virtual career expo linked to the Department of Homeland Security after faculty members expressed concerns that advertising the event was akin to supporting “authoritarianism.”
The event in question, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Virtual Career Expo, was set for February 18 and aimed to connect job seekers with recruiters to discuss careers in federal law enforcement. As reported by the New York Post, the event promised the participation of various Department of Homeland Security agencies.
The New York Post highlighted a statement from an unnamed faculty group, which argued that promoting such an event “undermines campus trust, makes parts of our community feel targeted or unsafe, and further damages Columbia’s public standing by reinforcing the view that we are complicit in the turn towards authoritarianism.”
The faculty coalition emphasized their stance by stating, “Silence will be read as consent.”
On February 5, 2026, protests led predominantly by students seeking increased protections against ICE actions resulted in arrests by New York police after demonstrators blocked a street near Columbia University. The scene was captured in photographs by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images.
In light of the backlash, Columbia University clarified that the appearance of the event on its School of Professional Studies’ (SPS) Career Design Lab website did not equate to an endorsement. The listing was facilitated by 12twenty, an external online recruitment platform that connects students and alumni with job opportunities and hiring events across a wide spectrum of employers.
“SPS and the University do not control or select the employers available on the 12twenty network. Job opportunities or career expo events made available on the platform should not be construed as a sponsorship or endorsement by SPS or the University. These events take place virtually and no students are required to participate,” the university said.
It noted that the 12twenty platform includes various employers, including other federal agencies like the CDC, EPA, FBI, FDA, FEMA and IRS.
A student walks through security at Columbia University. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital.)
In an updated statement issued Feb. 11, Columbia said the Career Design Lab website will now highlight only events organized by SPS, but students and alumni can continue to access the broader range of external opportunities through the 12twenty platform.
New York City–based news outlet amNY spoke with retired schoolteacher Rich Candia, who defended the career expo and argued that students should have access to information about federal law enforcement and career opportunities.
“This is quite hypocritical because the schools promote ‘choice’ but they are denying choice when they hinder the posting of such employment,” Candia told the outlet. “There’s going to be opposition to many issues, but by not promoting the federal government’s event, they are denying the sector of students who may have a profound interest in this particular livelihood.”
