JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A coalition of local advocacy groups gathered Tuesday outside a Department of Homeland Security recruiting expo at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, urging job seekers not to pursue careers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The demonstration, organized by Indivisible JAX Riverside and joined by groups including Beaches Activist Movement, Indivisible Mandarin, Indivisible St. Johns County, JaxNOW, Take Em Down, the Democratic Women’s Information Network and 50501 Vets, coincided with the first day of a two-day DHS career fair.
Organizers said the protest was a response to what they described as an aggressive nationwide recruitment effort and the expansion of federal immigration enforcement.
“We’re out here today to protest DHS, Department of Homeland Security, having a job fair in our city to increase ICE agents and increase the abuse that’s happening right now,” protester Montessa Bryant said.
Protesters voiced concerns about immigration detention and enforcement practices.
“We’ve seen all of the abuses of ICE,” Bryant said.
Gloria Einstein, another protester, said she felt compelled to speak out against current immigration policies.
“We’re imprisoning people who committed no crimes and making them subject to these awful conditions,” Einstein said. “It’s just intolerable and I feel the need to protest it any way I can.”
The coalition said it opposes what it views as the militarization of interior enforcement, accelerated training models and a lack of accountability within federal agencies. Organizers also raised concerns about alleged racial and language profiling by federal agents and cited reports from advocacy organizations regarding shootings and deaths in ICE custody.
Inside the expo, however, attendees expressed a different perspective.
Many job seekers said they were focused on finding stable employment and opportunities to serve the public.
“We’re just here to better ourselves and hopefully get the career we want,” said Gesco Camile, who attended the event.
Camile said a desire to serve motivated his interest in DHS careers.
“I have a deep sense of justice and integrity, so I want to serve people,” he said. “And the Department of Homeland Security, they serve America, so what a better place to work for.”
Chester Wilson, another attendee, said employment opportunities were his primary concern.
“I think the most important thing is that we could all continue to be employed, all continue to support the country and give all that we can give,” Wilson said.
According to a DHS flyer, the recruiting event includes opportunities with several agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.
DHA Spokesperson Daniel Velez said there’s a big focus on hiring TSA agents with another concourse opening soon at the Jacksonville International Airport.
“Anytime an airport grows or we get more security screening lanes or a bigger footprint at an airport, we’re definitely going to look to bring in officers,” Velez said.
The flyer states DHS’s mission includes enforcing immigration laws, securing U.S. borders, safeguarding cyber infrastructure, protecting national leaders and countering terrorism.
“Our priority is securing the homeland and keeping the American people safe,” the flyer says, adding that DHS operates “by air, land, sea, and cyberspace.”
The flyer invites veterans, transitioning service members, military spouses, students and experienced professionals to attend and explore career opportunities across areas such as law enforcement, cybersecurity, immigration services and logistics.
The DHS career expo continues Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Protest organizers said they plan to return Wednesday morning.
For more information on job opportunities, click here.