“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,” Republican Erie County Legislator Lindsay Lorigo said in an interview with Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n
Lorigo said she understood discussions about the event were continuing and hoped the center would reverse its decision<\/a>. She said vendors had invested time and local labor into the expo\u2019s setup.<\/p>\n The Buffalo Convention Center canceled a two-day DHS career expo after local officials objected to ICE\u2019s participation. (Reuters)<\/p>\n DEMOCRATIC MAYOR BLASTED BY DHS FOR ‘HUNTING DOWN’ PROPERTY OWNERS LEASING TO ICE: ‘UNHINGED’<\/a><\/p>\n “I have had discussions with vendors that are already set up there,” Lorigo said. “They\u2019re concerned that they\u2019re going to have to close down their business because they can\u2019t afford the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but now they don\u2019t know who\u2019s going to pay the bill.<\/p>\n “I think he is blowing the safety concern out of the water.”<\/p>\n DHS sharply defended ICE<\/a> in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday and rejected criticism as political.<\/p>\n “Our agents are focused on protecting the American people \u2014 not entertaining performative outrage. Where is the outrage for Angel families who lost a loved one to illegal alien<\/a> crime?” a DHS spokesperson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “To most Americans, our brave ICE law enforcement are heroes. Eighty percent of Americans support arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods.”<\/p>\n Erie County legislator Lindsay Lorigo accused County Executive Mark Poloncarz of overstepping his authority by urging the expo\u2019s cancellation. (Spencer Platt\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n AMERICA NEEDS WORKERS, BUT TRUMP’S POLICIES ARE SHARPLY CUTTING LEGAL IMMIGRATION<\/a><\/p>\n A May Harvard CAPS\/Harris online survey<\/a> found 80% supported deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally and committed crimes.<\/p>\n USAJOBS described the expo<\/a> as the department\u2019s premier large-scale hiring event. It was open to the public, veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities and recent graduates, with recruiting planned across cybersecurity, intelligence, law enforcement, finance, human resources, immigration services, logistics and transportation security.<\/p>\n New York Labor Department data<\/a> released Tuesday showed 25,100 people were unemployed in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga area in July. Its 4.4% jobless rate was up from 4.3% a year earlier.<\/p>\n DHS defended ICE after Lorigo warned that local vendors could face major costs from the last-minute cancellation. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland\/Getty)<\/p>\n DHS ISSUES SCATHING REBUKE AFTER FORMER ATLANTA MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS TOUTS CUTTING TIES WITH ICE<\/a><\/p>\n In a joint statement released by Poloncarz\u2019s office<\/a> Thursday, the county executive said Erie County owns the convention center but does not manage its bookings or daily operations. Poloncarz said he learned of the expo Wednesday and urged its management corporation to cancel the DHS contract.<\/p>\n “The Buffalo Convention Center is a publicly owned community asset, and I do not believe it should be used to support recruitment efforts that are inconsistent with the values we have repeatedly expressed as a welcoming community,” Poloncarz said.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE<\/a><\/p>\n Convention center President and CEO Patrick Kaler said management first asked DHS to hold the event without ICE.<\/p>\n “When it became clear that was not possible, we made the decision to cancel as we feel it\u2019s in the best interests of our community at this time,” Kaler said.<\/p>\n![\"U.S.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/us-customs-and-border-protection.jpg\")
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