Dispute Over Cancellation of DHS Career Expo in Buffalo

A Republican from the Buffalo area has accused Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat, of overstepping his authority. This follows the cancellation of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) career expo at the Buffalo Convention Center. The expo was canceled due to objections over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) participation, raising concerns about potential protests.

Republican Erie County Legislator Lindsay Lorigo criticized Poloncarz’s decision, stating, “The county executive has completely surpassed his power and authority. This was totally inappropriate for him to call on the management of the convention center to cancel this event.” She expressed hope that ongoing discussions might lead to a reversal of the center’s decision, emphasizing the investment of time and labor by vendors for the event setup.

Lorigo highlighted the financial concerns facing vendors due to the cancellation. “I have had discussions with vendors that are already set up there,” Lorigo mentioned. “They’re concerned that they’re going to have to close down their business because they can’t afford the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but now they don’t know who’s going to pay the bill.” She suggested that the safety concerns raised were exaggerated.

DHS sharply defended ICE in response, stating, “Our agents are focused on protecting the American people — not entertaining performative outrage. Where is the outrage for Angel families who lost a loved one to illegal alien crime?”

A DHS spokesperson argued that ICE officers are viewed as heroes by most Americans, with 80% supporting the arrest and deportation of criminal illegal aliens. This statistic was reinforced by a Harvard CAPS/Harris survey conducted in May, indicating strong public support for deportation of immigrants who committed crimes.

The expo, described by USAJOBS as DHS’s premier large-scale hiring event, aimed to recruit for positions in cybersecurity, intelligence, law enforcement, finance, human resources, immigration services, logistics, and transportation security. The event was open to the public and targeted veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities, and recent graduates. Amid economic concerns, New York Labor Department data showed 25,100 people unemployed in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga area in July, with a jobless rate of 4.4%, slightly higher than the previous year.

County Executive Poloncarz issued a joint statement saying Erie County owns the convention center but does not manage its bookings. He learned of the expo on Wednesday and urged cancellation of the DHS contract. Poloncarz cited the convention center as a publicly owned asset, arguing it should not support recruitment efforts contrary to community values.

Convention center President and CEO Patrick Kaler shared that management initially sought to host the event without ICE’s involvement. “When it became clear that was not possible, we made the decision to cancel as we feel it’s in the best interests of our community at this time,” Kaler commented.