Republican Criticizes Erie County Executive’s Cancellation of DHS Career Expo

A Republican legislator from the Buffalo region has expressed criticism towards Democratic Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, following the Buffalo Convention Center’s cancellation of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) two-day career expo. The event, scheduled to begin Tuesday, was called off due to objections regarding the participation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and potential protest concerns.

Erie County Legislator Lindsay Lorigo voiced her disapproval in an interview with Fox News Digital, 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.” Lorigo explained that ongoing discussions were taking place around the event, hoping that the center might reconsider its decision. Vendors had already invested resources, including local labor, into the setup for the expo.

The Buffalo Convention Center canceled a two-day DHS career expo after local officials objected to ICE’s participation. (Reuters)

Lorigo expressed concern for the vendors who might suffer financial losses due to the expo’s cancellation. She remarked, “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 safety concerns were exaggerated.

The Department of Homeland Security defended ICE’s involvement, with a spokesperson saying to Fox News Digital that their agents focus on the security of American citizens, dismissing the criticisms as political. The spokesperson highlighted the importance of ICE’s work and noted that most Americans view their law enforcement efforts as heroic, citing a Harvard CAPS/Harris online survey indicating that 80% of the populace supports the deportation of criminal illegal aliens.

The USAJOBS platform described the expo as a significant hiring event for DHS, open to the public, including veterans, military spouses, individuals with disabilities, and recent graduates. Recruitment efforts were planned across various sectors, such as cybersecurity, intelligence, law enforcement, finance, human resources, immigration services, logistics, and transportation security.

New York Labor Department statistics showed 25,100 unemployed people in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga area in July, with a 4.4% unemployment rate, increased from 4.3% in the previous year.

DHS defended ICE after Lorigo warned that local vendors could face major costs from the last-minute cancellation. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty)

The cancellation led to a joint statement from Poloncarz’s office, explaining that while Erie County owns the convention center, it does not manage daily operations or bookings. Poloncarz revealed he was informed about the expo on Wednesday and had urged the management corporation to annul the DHS contract. “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,” he stated.

Patrick Kaler, President and CEO of the convention center, noted that management had first requested DHS to host the event without ICE involvement, which was not feasible, leading to the decision to cancel the event.

Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to Poloncarz for commentary on the issue but did not receive an immediate response.

CJ Womack, associate editor at Fox News, joined the digital team in 2026, emphasizing journalism’s impact on politics and culture. CJ has an extensive background in media analysis and reporting, having graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a degree in Political Science and a Journalism minor.