On September 30, 2024, Akinbolanle Bolaji, a junior at John Jay majoring in law and society, walked through the Career Learning Lab’s semi-annual Career Con.

Bolaji was hoping to find internship opportunities at the fair, but instead Bolaji stopped in his tracks as uniformed ICE officers stood at their booth in Hound Square. 

“I walked back to where I was coming from,” he said. “I felt unsafe and didn’t want to go near them,” said Bolaji. 

For Bolaji, and many other students with diverse immigrant backgrounds, ICE’s presence on campus was not only unexpected, but it was also alarming. 

The controversy surrounding ICE’s attendance at Career Con has sparked many conversations, especially among the large immigrant student population at John Jay; one third of John Jay’s students is immigrants. 

Many students expressed outrage and fear, for they believe that their sense of safety on campus was compromised due to ICE’s presence on campus. 

“There are plenty of students with complicated immigration statuses. I don’t think they [ICE] should even be here,” said Bolaji. 

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), aims to protect America through criminal investigations by enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety. In March 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in response to the 9/11 tragedy of 2001.

This tension of debates is rooted in the lack of communication by the Career Learning Lab with the student body. 

The Immigrant Student Success Center (IMSSC) was not informed about ICE’s participation in the career fair beforehand. 

John Jay’s Immigrant Student Success Center, is a key resource for immigrant and undocumented students at the college. The center aims to create spaces that empower and support their students’ academic and personal success. 

Denise Vivar, the manager of the Immigrant Student Success Center, explained that the center was originally created in 2018. 

“The center was an emergency response to Trump’s election,” said Vivar.

While facing uncertain times, students who are immigrants were seeking support from the college to have a safe space for discussions and advocacy. 

Election season has heightened tensions over immigration policies. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to enforce his plan of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. 

Vivar also shared her thoughts on ICE’s presence on campus. 

“I was caught off guard,” she said. “I felt very unprepared and found out through students,” said Vivar. 

Protocols for notifying the IMSSC, Public Safety, and other campus offices about ICE have been in place since 2019. However, the protocols were not followed for this year’s Career Con. 

Vivar also stated that there is no assigned point of contact at the Career Learning Lab. 

Kristina Simonsen is a former employee of the Career Learning Lab. Simonsen shared that she has been reaching out to the IMSSC to notify them of any sensitive agency participation.

After hearing from concerned students, Vivar emailed Simonsen to follow up and ask for an explanation. 

“She said she was supposed to send me an email, and it was in her drafts,” said Vivar. 

Simonsen also mentioned in her email response that ICE was “tucked away” and not in students’ view. 

The Career Learning Lab’s previous director, Chantelle Wright, worked closely with the IMSSC to enforce the protocols. 

According to the protocol, when ICE is on campus, ICE officers must be escorted by a public safety officer. Additionally, ICE has no right to detain or question students on campus. Students must also be made aware of ICE’s  presence on campus. 

Vivar also shared that the Student Council received emails from professors regarding students feeling frightened about going to class. Many students were hiding in classrooms and other places they deemed safe while ICE was on campus. Bolaji was among these students, and he stayed at the Urban Male Initiative lounge until the ICE officers left campus. 

Purnima Taylor, the director of the Career Learning Lab, explained the current protocols of the Career Learning Lab when ICE is on campus. 

“Our protocol is to notify the Immigrant Student Success Center, as well as other offices on campus, when representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, plan to attend a career event on campus,” said Taylor. 

Taylor continued on with apologies. 

“I regret this and sincerely apologize,” she stated. 

To prevent any future miscommunications, Taylor explained that there will be additional steps of reconfirming with departments, like the IMSSC, to ensure that they are notified of ICE’s presence on campus in advance.

However, as of now, the Career Learning Lab is uncertain of ICE’s participation in the next Career Con because event registration has not yet opened. 

John Jay College has long-standing ties to government agencies, given its focus on criminal justice and public service. 

The Career Learning Lab explained their decision by expressing the importance of providing students with opportunities across federalism, state, and local organizations. 

“Our goal is to share a wide range of opportunities to help students identify potential employers,” Taylor asserted. 

For Bolaji, the experience left a lasting impression. 

“It was very insensitive not to announce their presence,” he said. “The school is doing a good job of protecting students overall, but they need to do better regarding this,” said Bolaji

Many students and faculty are calling on the John Jay administration to prioritize student safety. 

Bolaji, along with other students of the IMSSC, are asking for stricter enforcement of protocols that prioritize the safety of undocumented students and better communication moving forward. 

“By inviting institutions like Homeland Security on campus, the school is contributing to mass deportations, even if indirectly,” said Vivar.