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.
Some students also referenced the reported killing of Alex Pretti by CBP officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as part of the broader context informing their views.
Despite the absence of CBP, demonstrators maintained their presence throughout the day. Their setup included signage and an effort to engage passersby by offering donuts and inviting conversation.
Reactions from the campus community varied. Some students chose to avoid the area altogether, while others briefly stopped to observe or engage.
According to participants, the protest drew a steady stream of support from faculty, staff and even employers attending the job fair. They noted that several individuals stopped to express appreciation for the effort, and some employers acknowledged the demonstration as they entered or exited the event.
Samford’s policies permit student demonstrations under certain conditions, emphasizing that protests must not disrupt university operations, block access to buildings or interfere with academic activities. The policy also requires that demonstrations remain orderly and do not compromise safety or property.
Samford Chief of Police Tommy Taylor confirmed that the demonstration was conducted in alignment with university expectations.
“Samford fully supports our students’ right to protest,” he said. “Our students here are always kind. They’re courteous to other people. They’re never disruptive.”
Taylor spoke with organizers beforehand and all parties agreed on maintaining access to the building and avoiding disruption to the instructional environment.
Student organizers framed the protest as both a response to institutional decisions and an expression of personal conviction.
Andrew Villars, one of the organizers, described the demonstration as an effort to encourage dialogue. Some of the agency’s actions, in his view, conflict with the university’s stated values.
“We’re here just encouraging students to speak out against CBP and ask Samford to stop inviting them to recruit our students,” he said.
Villars also addressed distinctions between CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), noting that while the agencies are separate, he believes they are closely connected in practice.
“We’ve had people point out that they are distinct entities, which we are aware of,” he said. “But they are so closely tied… they have kind of declared to start helping each other more as time goes on.”
Other organizers emphasized the personal dimension of the issue, which influenced their decision to participate.
“We had people talk to us that are international, even before this, saying that this makes them really uncomfortable,” said organizer Mallori Finney. “Even since being here today, we’ve had people of color come up to us and just say thank you.”
Finney outlined several goals of the protest, including broader calls for CBP reform and specific requests directed at the university. Among these were a request that Samford not invite CBP to future events, provide a statement clarifying the university’s stance on ICE, and create a convocation credit seminar focused on faith and immigration.
Matt Mahar, another organizer, said that after the group learned of CBP’s planned attendance and heard from students who expressed discomfort with the agency’s presence on campus, they acted quickly.
“As soon as we found that out, we wanted to organize and just be a voice,” Mahar said.
Among job fair attendees, reactions reflected a range of perspectives. Dylan Alana, a law, politics and society major, said he appreciated the manner in which the protest was conducted. “It’s a great group of people who came out here and did it the right way,” he said, noting that the demonstration was neither disruptive nor confrontational.
University officials said that, aside from the absence of CBP and a small number of other cancellations, the job fair proceeded as planned. Dora Ditchfield, Director of Career Development, described the event as successful overall, citing positive feedback from employers regarding student professionalism and engagement.
“Samford can be an example to our nation about how to engage in civil discourse,” Ditchfield said.
Staff Reporter
