On Thursday, Feb. 26, students gathered outside of Cooney Hall at Samford University for a protest that coincided with the university’s government and nonprofit job fair. Beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the duration of the event, the demonstration remained stationary near the entrance to the building, creating a visible but non-obstructive presence as students, faculty and employers moved in and out of the building.
The protest was organized in response to the anticipated attendance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which had previously participated in Samford’s job fairs in 2024 and 2025, and was scheduled to return in 2026. However, CBP did not attend the event, and university officials confirmed later that the agency was a “no show” and did not communicate its absence in advance.
Planning for the demonstration had been underway for just under a month. Organizers cited a combination of national concerns and campus-specific conversations as motivation, including reports of CBP’s activities and its collaboration with other federal immigration enforcement agencies…