Utah Valley University students are calling on their school to disinvite the federal Border Patrol and Protection agents who are set to be on campus Wednesday to recruit at a job fair.
The inclusion of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the list of more than 70 employers who plan to host a table at the event has drawn major attention online and touched off a torrent of angry phone calls and emails to UVU’s administration.
Students have also planned a Wednesday protest across from the event, led by the university’s Civil Disobedience Club, which has posted about the job fair several times.
There has been some confusion in the posts about whether officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, would be at the event.
What UVU said
In a statement, UVU confirmed that the job fair will include CBP agents, but not ICE.
Both are divisions under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE is typically more involved with law enforcement around immigration. CBP, which includes both Border Patrol and Border Protection agents, is usually focused on securing the borders and ports of entry for the United States.
But there has also been some role-mixing recently under President Donald Trump’s administration.
ICE has been deployed to several major cities as of late to arrest immigrants who Trump’s administration has alleged are in the country illegally. That includes in Minneapolis, where enforcement has ramped up and where residents have responded with massive protests.
CBP agents have also been a part of that enforcement. And earlier this month, they were allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse and American citizen, ProPublica reported Sunday, citing a preliminary report to Congress.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are seen outside of a Target store Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Agents in Border Patrol vests also recently arrested two men at a Utah auto shop, according to the wife of one of the men, who recorded part of the encounter. That interaction has raised questions about agents operating without warrants.
Cities across Utah and the nation also held protests last week in solidarity with Minneapolis and in protest of ICE.
‘Aware of the campus community concerns’
UVU said in a statement about the job fair, which is held every semester, that it is “aware of the campus community concerns.”
Some flyers hung on campus for the event had mentioned that CBP would be among the recruiters.
“Consistent with our freedom of speech policies, participating employers have the right to advertise opportunities on campus,” the school said.
It added: “Utah Valley University educates students for success in work and life. Part of that education is connecting students with employers. … Most Utah colleges and universities hold these fairs with many of the same employers.”
The school said that its job fairs include both private and public employers who request to take part in the event. The event this year will be held in the Sorensen Center’s Grande Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Based on a review of past events, it appears CBP has taken part in the UVU recruiting event since at least 2018.
UVU said it plans to have security at the job fair. The school has recently been in the spotlight for its security measures after the September on-campus killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The university has been criticized for not providing enough police officers to cover the crowd of more than 3,000 attendees and for not securing rooftops ahead of the event.
A single shot was fired from the roof of the Losee Center, striking Kirk. Tyler James Robinson has since been arrested and charged with Kirk’s killing.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bryant Manwaring and his girlfriend Lindsey Western, both students at BYU, visit the courtyard at Utah Valley University on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, where Charlie Kirk, conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed.