Three people arrested after protesting border officials at Ohio State career fair
Authorities arrested three people on Tuesday who were protesting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection recruiters at the Ohio State University’s career fair.
Ohio State spokesperson Dan Hedman told 10 WBNS that the three individuals, two of whom are Ohio State students, were arrested for criminal trespass after receiving multiple warnings for disrupting the career fair.
Another university spokesperson, Ben Johnson, said that border officials have attended the career fair for several years.
The recent news came after the Columbus-based chapter of the national advocacy group 50501 urged the university to prevent the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from attending the career fair, according to NBC 4 News.
“Ohio State’s diverse student population deserves the backing of the university,” the activists wrote. “If The Ohio State University truly cared about their principles and values, they will pull DHS/ICE from their job fair.”
Even though the activists protested ICE’s presence at the career fair, the agency allegedly never planned to recruit new people there.
In a clarifying note, 50501 wrote that they didn’t know if ICE would be there, but knew DHS would be recruiting for “multiple disciplines.”
NBC 4 News reported that the activists’ post has been shared by student and staff groups at the university.
Before activists began protesting the federal agents’ hiring of new border patrol agents, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel announced the launch of WorkOhio – “a new initiative to connect Ohioans with in-demand jobs through personalized support from teams of regional job experts,” according to a press release.
Trestle made the announcement during a Jan. 15 meeting of the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board in Columbus.
“There has never been a better time to find a job in Ohio. Companies are growing in every region of our state and creating jobs in the industries that will shape our future,” Tressel said. “Starting a job search might seem overwhelming. But with WorkOhio, we will make it easier for Ohioans to discover all the opportunities available in their area by connecting them with a team of people ready to help them reach their full potential.”
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine praised Tressel for his initiative in his post on X.
Launched by @LtGovJimTressel, WorkOhio offers personalized support to help Ohioans land in-demand jobs in their area.
It’s part of our work to grow our workforce and help every Ohioan reach their full potential!https://t.co/Shk9WT0KFb https://t.co/1qB77SKxvI
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) January 16, 2026
“Launched by @LtGovJimTressel, WorkOhio offers personalized support to help Ohioans land in-demand jobs in their area,” he wrote. “It’s part of our work to grow our workforce and help every Ohioan reach their full potential!”
