After it was announced that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would be in attendance for a career fair on Villanova University’s campus next week, the employer informed the University’s Career Center that it would not be attending the event, The Villanovan has learned.
The Villanovan reached out to the University for an interview with a member of the Administration but instead was provided with a written statement.
“Organizations participating in this event were contacted through standard outreach to employers that have previously taken part in Career Center programs,” the University’s statement read. “US CBP-Office of Trade was included in that general communication based on its participation in past career-related events. Following the announcement of their participation, the employer informed the Career Center that they do not plan to attend this event.”
The organizer of the anti-CBP movement Instagram account, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke exclusively with The Villanovan on Friday.
“We’re obviously very happy that Customs and Border Protection will not be on campus,” the organizer told The Villanovan. “We are still disappointed with the fact that this was a decision made by CBP rather than a decision made by Villanova, not allow them to come on campus.
“I think a lot of students will feel a lot safer and more comfortable attending this Career Fair. But it doesn’t take away the anger that this was ever something that was gonna happen. It wasn’t Villanova saying, ‘Hey, you guys can’t come.’ It’s Villanova. It’s CBP telling Villanova, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna come.”
The organization also provided The Villanovan with a list of demands it intends to send to the University.
Demands of Villanova University:
- Villanova University should make a public commitment to refuse any and all cooperation with CBP and ICE, including preventing, to the best of their legal ability, these agencies’ presence on campus.
- A student panel should be created that vets and approves the employers allowed on campus to prevent issues like this from arising in the future.
- On multiple occasions, the University has failed to speak up for its students. Villanova must publicly and officially uninvite CBP from the Spring 2026 Career Fair and any future campus events.
- We ask that Father Peter address the issues facing our communities and denounce ICE, CBP and DHS. We ask that he make a public statement acknowledging the atrocities facing our country and community.
- Finally, Villanova University should donate money to “Defending Our Neighbors” to help assist service providers and community bond funds working to keep families together.
The Liberal Arts & Business Career Fair is being hosted by Villanova’s Career Center next Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Connelly Center’s Villanova Room. Out of safety concerns, students have taken to social media to ask the University not to allow CPB any presence on campus.
An Instagram account was created on Thursday evening under the handle “@cbpoutofvillanova.” The account’s bio reads, “A group of students who condemn Villanova’s choice to allow CBP to participate in campus activities.” It shared information about what CBP’s main objectives are as an organization and details about the upcoming career fair on its Instagram story.
The account was created within the last 24 hours and has gained 119 followers at the time of this publication.
“A couple of people, myself included, were on Handshake, [looking] at the career fair just seeing what was going on, and we saw that Customs and Border Protection were gonna be part of Villanova’s Liberal Arts Career Fair,” the account owner said. “I think a lot of us were either scared for our own safety or concerned for the safety of others and kind of outraged that Villanova would allow that.”
The group of students created the Instagram account after hearing other people on campus had the same concerns as them. It aims to create a “central hub in the form of an Instagram page” for people to get information on the situation. The organization’s goal is to provide sample letters to University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A, Ph.D., or workers at Villanova’s Career Center.
“Our central goal is to just get [CBP] not to come [to campus],” the group’s organizer said. “I think the central goal is not just this coming career fair, but for the rest of time. We think that that’s a valid goal, one that we can hopefully achieve.”
Student safety concerns have been heightened in response to recent national events involving the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Pretti was killed by a CBP officer operating under ICE.
“I think a lot of students do feel unsafe,” the organizer said. “We do go to a predominantly white institution, so maybe not all of those students, but [some] students. We have students reach out for fear of them, fear for themselves, fear for friends, fear for family.”
This is a developing story. The Villanovan will continue to provide updates as information is learned.
