Approximately 40 protesters gathered in front of the Bell Memorial Union yesterday to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Chico State University job fair.
Two recruiters from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a law enforcement agency within ICE, were recruiting at the afternoon fair on Wednesday, February 26.
“No justice, no peace, until ICE leaves,” protesters chanted in the plaza outside the BMU as other students waited in line to check in so that they could attend the fair.
The single-door check-in process was a new step implemented for today’s fair, said Andrew Staples, university public relations manager.
A Chico State counselor participated in the’s protest, stating that ICE’s presence “causes fear and mental health anguish. It’s an impact on students,” declined to identify himself due to concerns about retaliation from the administration in response to his statement.
“I think it’s important for students and for faculty and staff to stand up and say something,” the counselor said. “I’ve met students who had concerns and issues and regards about the new immigration policies, and also having ICE on campus or people who represent Homeland Security. They have talked to me multiple times.”
Chico State Public Relations Manager Andrew Staples told ChicoSol that he recognized “it’s unsettling times, and it hasn’t been the most comfortable last couple of months on campus for sure.” But he also noted that “we are legally obligated to have organizations like HSI there.”
“We did not invite them, but we make these career fairs available to all kinds of organizations, and they evaluate and they sign up,” he continued. “Once they sign up, as a federally-funded institution it’s our legal responsibility to not discriminate, to allow everyone who signs up to come.”
Staples thoughtt of the “peaceful protest” as a good example of “our campus community, making their voices heard, advocating for what they believe in.”
He added that the safety measures for this career fair were “different” from measures implemented previously: “We knew that there was a strong possibility of free speech activity, and it’s a little bit more regulated on getting in and getting out.”
