By Ava Uhlack, August 26, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona sent out a university-wide email announcing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol will be on campus at the career fair Sept. 18.
According to the email sent Friday, Aug. 22, the CPP Career Center would be hosting a handful of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including but not limited to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Inglewood Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Although the presence of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or other law enforcement agencies may be upsetting for some students, Cal Poly Pomona is a public university and cannot prohibit (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), CBP, or (the Department of Homeland Security) from participating in career fair activities,” said the University News email.
The university sent out a follow-up email announcement yesterday stating the Career Fair was postponed.
“This adjustment allows us to thoughtfully reformat these events in response to student and community feedback, ensuring our career programming better serves the needs and aspirations of our students while remaining in compliance with our legal obligations as a public institution,” Levine said in the email.
Like the original Career Fair announcement, the email also disclosed CPP is a public institution and therefore cannot infringe on federal employers participating in career-related activities, such as U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
The presence of ICE has yet to be seen on CPP’s campus, but staff, faculty, and students have expressed concerns as to what could happen. For instance, The Poly Post attempted to interview CPP students about their feelings toward ICE’s presence on campus, but all declined due to fear of the topic.
“I know that there are staff, faculty, and students who are very concerned, and rightfully so,” Interim President Iris Levine said. “We know that this kind of action is hurtful to families. Many of our students, if they are (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students, have responsibilities to take care of at home, and we are doing our very best to make sure that everyone feels safe when they come onto this campus.”
Fears of ICE raidshave floated around campus since President Donald J. Trump returned to office in January 2025. ICE sightings then began in areas as close as Santa Ana and Orange County in February of this year according to previous coverage by The Poly Post.
Furthermore, a CPP alumnus was wrongfully detained over the past summer.
According to an article by The Guardian, Andrea Velez, a CPP alumnus, was arrested during an immigration raid in Los Angeles this past June.
A DHS official told media she was arrested for assaulting an ICE officer; however, at the time, ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to The Guardian.
Attorney Dominique Boubion told ABC7:“Just to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you have the full weight of the federal government against you, and your family can’t find you. It is very scary.”
In response to this increased fear, the California State University system is rallying to protect students. Cal State LA allowed professors to move classes online during the remaining weeks of the summer class session. According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, upon hearing students were “scared to take public transport and fearful of driving to campus,” Cal State LA university provost, among other university leaders, reinstated policies allowing for remote work for faculty and students due to the extreme circumstances.
The Chancellor’s Office also released a FAQ sheet for university employees regarding resources and how to approach federal immigration enforcement.
According to the FAQ, while immigration forces cannot be stopped from coming onto campus (since the state universities are public property), they are not allowed to enter residences to remove an individual without civil or administrative warrants.
Furthermore, university police officers will not assist agents with the enforcement action.
University Police Department Lieutenant Jose de Jesus Plasencia Jr. previously told The Poly Post, “CSU police officers have no right to contact, detain or arrest individuals based on suspected undocumented status and will solely assist in keeping interactions civil and help with the validation of presented warrants or immigration enforcement documents.”
If you see immigration activity on campus or learn that it is about to happen on CPP’s campus, immediately contact Jason Rodriguez, chief of staff and associate vice president of administrative service, at (909) 869-3019. Rodriguez is responsible for meeting with immigration officers and verifying any order, subpoena or warrant they may have.
If Rodriguez is not available, call UPD at (909) 869-3070. If an undocumented student is taken into custody, notify Dean of Students Weston Prisbrey at (909) 979-5522.
Resources for undocumented students are also available from multiple organizations on campus, including Undocumented Students Services, Counseling and Psychological Services and the California State University Immigration Legal Services Project.
“We want to provide a safe space for learning and growing, and I’m committed to that,” Levine said.
Feature image courtesy of Ami Medina