After conversations with Chico State staff, U.S. Border Patrol cancels career fair attendance

Jessica Miller, Food Editor // March 30, 2024 // 864 Views

Pedestrians line up for California Border Patrol processing at the Calexico, Calif. port of entry. Courtesy: Josh Denmark on Jan. 4, 2022

U.S. Border Patrol elected not to attend the Chico State career fair held on March 27 due to conversations with Chico State staff.

An announcement was sent out by President Steve Perez on March 6 to students and staff so that the campus community would be aware of USBP’s presence.

Following that announcement, the Dream Center provided students with resources to help them prepare for any discomfort that may be caused by the event.

However, on the day of the event, USBP’s name was removed from the career fair map and they were consequently not in attendance.

There were concerns that Border Patrol presence would make students feel uneasy, U.S. Border Patrol agent Jason White said.

“We are reluctant to make any situation about us, or draw any attention away from the event in which many Chico State University staff members spent time and effort to arrange,” White said.

Border Patrol’s interest in the fair was to recruit a variety of well-rounded and diverse applicants. Chico State is an institution that services a diverse student body that fit the target demographic of professionals USBP is looking to hire, White said.

Students interested in a border patrol position are encouraged to apply by contacting a USBP recruiter with any questions or by using the USBP website.

USBP welcomes students of all fields and majors to apply for a position.

“Any student who is looking for a rewarding and adventurous career, excited about being outdoors, and looking to enforce federal narcotics, terrorism, immigration, and human smuggling/human trafficking violations should consider applying to become a U.S. Border Patrol Agent,” White said.

Additionally, Border Patrol agents inspect agricultural items to ensure they are free from pests and foreign animal diseases.

In order to become a Border Patrol agent, applicants must fit the following requirements:

Be a U.S. citizen
Have a valid, non-restricted driver’s license
Have resided in the U.S. for at least three of the last five years
Be eligible to carry a firearm
Be referred for selection before turning 40 or receive an exception for veteran’s preference eligibility or previous service in a civilian law enforcement position
Be willing to travel
Pass the application process which includes a medical examination, physical fitness test, polygraph exam, drug test, a structured interview, entrance exam and background investigation

USBP operates in all 50 states at 328 ports of entry. More information about the process, pay, and benefits can be found here.

Jessica Miller can be reached at [email protected].

About the Contributor

Jessica Miller, News Editor

Jessica Miller is a fourth-year English studies major at Chico State with a minor in linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. This will be her second semester with The Orion and her first semester as the news editor. She previously worked as the food editor and loved getting to know the small businesses in downtown. After graduation, she plans to pursue a single-subject teaching credential in English and begin teaching at the high school level in California. She loves to write, read and work at the Student Learning Center on campus as a Lead Writing Mentor for the Writing Center..