U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been on a hiring surge. This includes a recruiting event in Dayton this week.
Several groups held protests outside the three-day U.S. Customs and Border Protection Career Expo, which was held at the Marriott at the University of Dayton.
Mel Rodriguez, one of the organizers with "District 10 Indivisible for All," said that she and fellow protesters came out to express their concern about the amount of funding that's been going to CBP and ICE, another Department of Homeland Security agency, and how these agencies were treating people.
"I think people in their daily lives, when they're talking to each other, need to have more compassion for fellow humans," she said.
Last week, Congress advanced a $70 billion plan to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies for the next three years. DHS has been without much of its appropriated funding since February amid ongoing budget disputes.
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to open, ongoing engagement with the communities we serve," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. "We regularly partner with schools, community groups, industry, and the media. Outreach with public and private partners helps CBP reach the best applicants."
A heightened security presence was visible both inside and outside of the Marriott. University of Dayton officials said that UD Public Safety officers routinely patrol and respond to calls for service at the Marriott and that, based on information about potential protest activity during the career fair, a coverage plan was developed to help maintain a safe environment for everyone in the area, including hotel guests and employees, individuals attending or working the career fair, and those exercising their right to protest.
Beverly Adams, a naturalized citizen from Honduras with Cincinnati-based "Coffee. Compassion. Action!" showed up to protest on Wednesday evening.
"When I moved to this country, I joined the military and I was able to serve my country," Adams said. "But now, my people are being savaged. It's just really sad to see that humanity has gotten to this point and we have to be here, we have to speak up because if we don't, who is?"
