University of Washington Tacoma officials have asked U.S. border patrol officers not to attend a career fair Wednesday after students spoke out against them and planned a protest.
Concerns surfaced after UWT staff sent an email to colleagues last week, alerting them that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had registered to be at the university's winter career fair for recruitment.
"In this particular instance, the upcoming presence of U.S. CBP on campus had created significant concern among a number of our students and faculty, who stated very clearly that they would feel unsafe and dissuaded from participating in the career fair," the university shared in a statement Monday evening. "Considering the positive and educational purpose of the career fair, we determined the best course of action was to ask CBP not to participate, and they agreed."
The Progressive Student Union of UWT spoke out against having the CBP at the career fair last week, saying its presence could make some students fearful to go.
"They have no place on this campus," said Sean Arent, president of the Progressive Student Union of UWT.
The group had planned to protest during the career fair, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. It also started a petition.
"We're going to be loud and clear that they're not welcome here," Arent told The News Tribune on Monday.
UW Tacoma made the right decision in asking CBP not to attend, Arent said.
"Everyone stepped in to let them know how we felt about this situation," he said.
A gathering is still planned for Wednesday during the career fair, Arent said, to raise awareness about a current bill to prohibit expansion of immigrant detention facilities and to encourage UWT to change a policy that allowed CBP to join the career fair.
Jason Givens, CBP spokesperson covering the state of Washington, told The News Tribune prior to the UWT statement that it's common for CBP to attend career fairs.
"CBP is there to talk about the excellent career opportunities. They are not there for law enforcement purposes," Givens said in an email.
Candidates running for Pierce County Council also shared their concerns in a joint letter to UWT Chancellor Mark Pagano.
"The University of Washington Tacoma is one of the jewels in the crown of Pierce County, an institution that makes us proud regularly. However, it has come to our attention that the US Customs and Border Patrol, those in the news for separating Hispanic children from their parents, are to be recruiting at a University Career Fair on the 26th of February at the University YMCA, where non-citizens and dreamers will be in attendance," the letter stated.
"We understand that you probably had little choice allowing CBP to participate in the fair, but feel that it may be incumbent upon you to defuse this unfair and threatening situation for students attending. The officers of CBP, you announced, will be on duty within their jurisdiction and thus empowered to arrest, or at the least, pick up any information they can garner from students."
The letter, sent by candidates Ryan Mello, Tim Farrell, Yanah G. Cook, Jani Hitchen and Sarah Rumbaugh, asked if there was a separate room that could be provided for CBP recruitment.
"We hope we aren't out of line in suggesting this, but it struck us as very much a fraught situation," the email stated.
Mello told The News Tribune on Monday he felt the request is appropriate considering the climate of the current administration under President Donald Trump.
"Students should not have to go to school in fear," he said.
UWT said it made the decision after "careful deliberation and welcome feedback from students and faculty."
"As a university campus with one of the most diverse student bodies in the U.S., we strive to create an environment that is supportive for all our students. We have students who are immigrants and whose parents are immigrants," according to its statement. "We know there will be times when employers request access to our career fairs whom some may regard as controversial. UW Tacoma does not endorse or recommend employers, and the presence of an employer on campus does not imply our endorsement or recommendation."
