By Trendsetter Tribune 
George Washington University Law School declined to remove ICE from its career fair despite a petition signed by over 1,200 students and organizations.
George Washington University Law School has refused to disinvite U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from its joint career fair with Georgetown Law, despite strong opposition from students and advocacy groups.
More than 1,200 students and organizations signed a petition calling for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to be removed from all current and future versions of the event. Petition organizers argued that working for ICE conflicts with public-interest lawyering and accused the agency of serious human rights violations.
GW Law Dean Dayna Matthew met with student leaders behind the petition before ultimately deciding not to rescind ICE’s invitation. In a follow-up email, she cited the university’s commitment to free expression and its policy of allowing recruitment access to all employers, regardless of controversy.
“Providing access does not signal endorsement,” Matthew wrote, emphasizing that students remain free to express opposition to any employer’s values or actions.
The decision sparked further fallout. At least 20 employers reportedly withdrew from the career fair in protest. ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor later pulled out of the event, though the agency’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center remained listed.
Many students expressed disappointment, saying ICE’s presence undermined efforts to create a welcoming environment on campus. “Bringing an organization whose mission makes people feel unsafe into this space was deeply insulting,” said student Anapaula Pérez-Gaitan.
The controversy comes amid similar disputes nationwide. Just last week, ICE withdrew from an Arizona State University Law School event after a student-led petition gathered hundreds of signatures.
As debates over free expression and institutional responsibility continue, the role of federal agencies at law school recruiting events remains a flashpoint for student activism.