CBP virtual recruitment event posted at IU as DHS faces scrutiny over Minnesota shootings and overseas backlash

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — January 28, 2026

The United States Border Patrol has scheduled an online recruiting event that is being promoted through Indiana University’s Hire IU calendar, inviting students and the public to register for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Virtual Career Expo on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.

https://events.iu.edu/event/2170463-us-customs-and-border-protection-virtual-career?sfnsn=mo

The IU listing describes the event as an “informational recruitment” expo—no interviews will be held and no job offers will be made—and says registration is required. It adds that participants who register by Feb. 16 can access booth content and resources early.

CBP, an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, says it is looking to fill thousands of “mission-critical” positions across roles that include Border Patrol agent, CBP officer, criminal investigator and air and marine interdiction jobs, as well as support fields such as intelligence, procurement, forensics and engineering.

The recruitment push comes as DHS and its immigration enforcement components face intensified political and international scrutiny following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this month during immigration enforcement actions, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

At the same time, plans to send U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to help support U.S. security operations connected to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have sparked a sharp backlash from some Italian officials, including Milan’s mayor, who criticized ICE as a “militia that kills,” even as Italian and U.S. officials said the agents would not control public order on Italian streets.

In Washington, pressure has mounted on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, with House Democratic leaders threatening impeachment proceedings if she is not removed, and Reuters reporting that two Republican senators have joined calls for her ouster in the wake of the Minnesota killings.

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Noem has also drawn criticism in recent years for high-profile immigration-related media appearances, including a 2025 visit to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, where official DHS imagery shows her touring the facility with prisoners visible in the background—images that critics compared to the Abu Ghraib scandal. She has also faced renewed attention over a story in her 2024 book describing her decision to kill a family dog, which she later defended publicly.

The Hire IU post lists the expo under “Career services” and “Employer relations” and notes it is free and open to the public, with federal hiring rules applying and U.S. citizenship required at minimum.

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