NYU Students Protest Inclusion of ICE Recruiters in Law School Job Fair
By: Kari Sonde and Kyla Bills
Students have been asked to gather at the NYU Law School’s Vanderbilt Hall on Thursday at 2PM in solidarity against the inclusion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruiters in the school’s Public Interest Job Fair. Allowing ICE recruiters on campus is particularly sensitive at this time given President Trump’s recent executive order and NYU’s vague position on Sanctuary Campus status.
The job fair describes itself as “a forum where employers and students can connect with one another, both during interviews for internships and permanent jobs, as well as more informally at information tables. Last year, representatives from more than 200 organizations and over 1,600 law students attended the Fair.”
An undergraduate NYU Sanctuary Campus organizer sent us the following statement:
“ Letting these officials on campus goes directly against Administrations initial promises! This is why we want Administration to declare Sanctuary Campus, so they will be held accountable for what they do and can’t go back on their words so easily. We need NYU to be a safe campus for students of all different status’s [sic], whether you are undocumented or on visa, we need to let them know the university is watching out for them. The NYU Community wants NYU admin to declare sanctuary campus and to comply with a list of demands that will soon come about. We hope to gain a sense of comfort and responsibility on the part of our university to have our best interest at heart.”
They also urged NYU students to attend “ Organizing to Resist: Take Action and Make Change Teach-In” tomorrow at NYU’s Center for Multicultural Education and Programs and “NYU Sanctuary: Creating a Coalition” at Judson Memorial Church.
After earlier protests on Thursday, it appeared that by 2PM the table slated for ICE recruiters was empty. Nearby tables said that there had at one point been a representative of the ICE in attendance and that the representative may be coming back. We are unable to this confirm at the time.
Ironically, the NYU School of Law has been in the news lately for Immigrants Rights Clinic assisting an NYU student who was detained at JFK.
