Students filled the Classic Center on Wednesday for UGA’s Spring Career and Internship Fair, an event designed to connect students with potential employers across industries.
The fair hosted hundreds of organizations ranging from local businesses to government agencies, offering opportunities to explore internships, entry-level positions and networking connections. For many attendees, the event marked a crucial step in post-graduation planning.
Samuel Kooran, a senior management information systems major, was eager to explore different career opportunities.
“I thought it was pretty cool to get exposed to different careers and different companies I did not know about before,” Kooran said.
Madelyn Reid, a senior public relations major, was most excited to engage with food and hospitality brands at the fair.
“I’ve worked in hospitality since I was 15, and it just interests me, and I am very passionate about working for companies that I am passionate about,” Reid said.
For others, the fair served as an opportunity to gain greater clarity about their professional futures.
Drishti Patel, a sophomore finance and economics major, attended the event to get a feel for the industries she is interested in.
“I am currently in between majors and also undecided about what I want to do, so I want to get an internship somewhere related to finance or economics so I can see specifically what I want to do in the future,” Patel said.
Among the organizations tabling was U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a federal law enforcement agency responsible for border security and immigration enforcement. Their presence prompted a protest organized by activists in the community who expressed concerns about the agency’s immigration policies and impact on communities in the U.S., including Athens.
Protesters gathered outside of the Classic Center holding posters and chanting. Though it began as a small-scale protest, people continued to gather as the fair went on.
A protestor leads a chant at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. The demonstration was held in opposition of the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection booth at The University of Georgia’s Spring Career and Internship Fair. (Photo/Gabriel Obleton)
“In my view … [CBP] is an illegitimate organization at this point, and we should not be hosting it,” Joe Fu, one of the protestors, said.
Despite the protest outside, many students continued to engage with employers inside the fair, saying the CBP tabling did not significantly impact their experience.
“I did notice [the protest] but I do not think it affected my experience. I believe, if I am correct, ICE is a part of DHS [Department of Homeland Security] and border patrol is a little different so I think people might confuse that,” Patel said.
Protestors hold signs outside of the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 to protest the presence of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at UGA’s Spring Career and Internship Fair. (Photo/London Ray)
CBP and ICE are not interchangeable. Both operate under DHS, but CBP enforces customs and immigration law “at and near the border,” while ICE enforces these laws at the border as well as in the interior of the U.S., according to ICE’s website. Both agencies work closely together to enforce immigration policy across the country.
The two agents identified as carrying out the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti were CBP agents, according to records viewed by ProPublica.
At the fair, CBP was recruiting entry-level border patrol agents, an effort that is spreading across the nation.
Clarification: This article has been updated to include important context surrounding the murder of Alex Pretti by CBP agents.