Local career fair included Border Patrol, drawing ire
Latino students are shaken and the school district apologetic after a career expo at Glenwood Springs High School included a table with agents from Border Patrol, an agency under U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Why the hell was Border Patrol there? For what reason are they here? Why, in this Latino- majority school? Something we’ve been taught always is like this fear of deportation — documented or undocumented,” questioned a student. “I need something to change to be able to feel safe in school knowing that my race, my ethnicity isn’t a problem.”
The annual career fair is meant to be a fun and educational way to introduce Roaring Fork School District high schoolers to career opportunities in the valley and beyond.
Students get to chat with representatives from more than 100 employers, all while picking up free merchandise and getting out of morning classes with their peers.
New expo partner
But at Tuesday’s event, the mood shifted when students realized that an agency responsible for the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants sat among the employers.
This is the first year that the school partnered with Carbondale- based Youthentity to host the expo after multiple years partnered with Glenx. Lawenforcement and public safety employers are regular features of the expos, but this is the first year that Border Patrol appeared.
“In previous years, Glenwood Springs High School did see that list (of employers) in advance. This year, we did not,” said Roaring Fork School public information officer Kelsy Been. “So obviously, we need to make sure in future years that we are working more closely with Youthentity, so that we’re seeing who’s going to be there before the day of.”
She said that the school and the district deeply regret the oversight but will not bar Border Patrol from participating in future job fairs. Rather, should the district choose to include Border Patrol, the school will “do so thoughtfully in terms of their location at the event and communication ahead of time.”
Superintendent Jesús Rodríguez issued an apology statement Wednesday and reaffirmed the district’s commitment to ensuring students feel safe from threats of “intimidation, hostility or violence, including threat of deportation.” He has not mentioned any opposition to the Border Patrol nor stated any intentions of banning them from future career expos.
“I think (the district is feeling) regretful and apologetic. I know that Dr. Rodriguez feels that if even one student felt unsafe, that we messed up,” Been said. “And although we weren’t at the table reviewing who was going to be at the career expo, we should have been. And we will be next time.”
Youthentity Director Kirsten Mcdaniel declined an interview but provided this statement via email: “Earlier this week, Youthentity’s first Career Expo was held at Glenwood Springs High School. Over 90 exhibitors were present including the U. S. Border Patrol. I sincerely apologize to any student or community member who was inadvertently hurt by their presence.
The purpose of the event is to connect students with a variety of professionals to learn more about their career paths.
This includes students who may want to serve their local community, state, or country in a lawenforcement or military capacity. Discussions have already taken place with superintendent Dr. Rodriguez and we pledge to work more closely together regarding future events to help ensure all students feel safe.”
In an email statement to The Times, Jason Givens of U. S. Customs and Border Patrol wrote: “CBP attends numerous career fairs at colleges, universities, high schools, and other locations throughout the nation.
CBP has a number of excellent career opportunities available that feature competitive salaries and an exceptional benefits package. CBP representatives attend career fairs to benefit students who might be seeking a career in law enforcement or civil service within the federal government. Representatives from CBP who attend career fairs are only there to discuss employment opportunities and not to conduct law- enforcement activities.”
The presence of the Border Patrol drew criticism from state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D- Glenwood Springs, and the Latino advocacy group Voces Unidas.
District 55% Hispanic
The Roaring Fork School District’s student body is 55% Latino as of the 2021-22 school year, and Glenwood Springs High School’s makeup is about 51% Hispanic.
As a majority- minority school and district, Latino students said they expected greater care and sensit ivity from their school.
The Times is using pseudonyms for the students since they are minors and fear that some family members could be endangered by identifying them in connection with their immigration status.
“I didn’t see it straight away. But I heard from a friend when I walked into the main gym that there was Border Patrol at the Career Expo,” said Adrian, 16.
“To any Latino, it’s crazy to see because essentially, it’s ICE ( U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). … It’s scary to think that at my school, where I went to the Career Expo to see if there’s a job that I was interested in, but I go and see (Border Patrol). It just made me feel very unsafe.”
He said that it brought back traumatic memories of his uncle’s deportation a couple years back, and that there are members of his family whose immigration status is not secure.
Another student, Vanessa, 17, said the sight of the Border Patrol agent and table frightened her.
“I’ll be honest, being from an immigrant family, I walked faster than I walked past other things,” she recalled. “I avoided that area and just walked away as quick as I could. … It ’ s just something that makes me nervous, scared.”
Adding to the layer of fear, just weeks prior, she asked some of her teachers to help write letters of hardship to assist with her dad’s immigration case. The letters demonstrate to the federal government how the deportation of a person would cause more harm than good.