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'I can't believe someone thought this was funny' | Racist flyers appear on Rice University campus

'This is indeed disgusting. It would be so at any time and any place, but especially offensive just before our new students arrive," tweeted the President of Rice.

HOUSTON — Racist, anti-immigrant messages were discovered on the Rice University campus Thursday afternoon, less than two weeks after Latinos were reportedly targeted by a gunman inside a Wal-Mart in El Paso. 

Rice University, one student, Cordero Lopez, tweeted a photo of a flyer posted on a university entrance sign with a disturbing message: Send them back. Deport the commie brown infestation.

The flyer has a cartoon image of 'the squad,' a group of four U.S. Congresswomen who've been called out by President Donald Trump. 

"I’m utterly disgusted, and i’m heartbroken," tweeted Lopez. "I can’t believe someone thought this was funny. this kind of talk comes from a place of evil, and those who propagate it have absolutely no soul whatsoever. i’m proud my friends called it out; now, it’s up to uni officials to respond."

He tweeted the photo at 3:58 p.m. on Thursday, August 15th.

Credit: Twitter

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Rice University President David Leebron is out-of-town but used his Twitter page to respond to Lopez's concern.

"This is indeed disgusting," tweeted Leebron. "It would be so at any time and any place, but especially offensive just before our new students arrive.  We’re investigating and here’s what we know so far. One person did observe a person tacking the flyer to entrance 20 and reported it to RUPD."

He continued to tweet details of what Rice University is doing in the wake of the discovery. 

"So far as we know, two additional such flyers have been posted on the campus and removed. RUPD officers will be canvassing the campus to see if any others have been posted.  If you see someone posting such an offensive item on Rice property, please call RUPD. The flyer posted appears to be the same as one posted at several Seattle synagogues & churches a few days ago. These particular posters appear to originate with a neo-Nazi org. It is, as you say, heartbreaking that such people feel empowered to commit such despicable acts."

Credit: Twitter

"But bigger than the incident is just what it could cause down the road," said Captain Clemente Rodriguez with the Rice University Police Department.  Officers rushed to pull the fliers from a visitors entrance sign and a residential building. 

"We try to deal with it in a professional manner," said Rodriguez.  "We have a very diverse department, ourselves. I’m very proud of that and I’m very proud of our diverse community." 

Rice University police alerted other local departments to the fliers and reported the pair of incidents to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate speech. 

The A.D.L. says in this political climate more anti-immigrant hate displays are being reported across the country. 

"We’re very aware of what’s going on, not only around our own community, but nationwide and around the world. We keep track of those things, those trends."

As of the original publication of this article, there are no other reports of these fliers being posted in other parts of the Houston area. If you see one, police want you to pull it down and call them to report it in an effort to keep hate speech from spreading. 

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez denounced the hateful message, tweeting that there is no place for hate. 

WATCH | Racist, anti-immigrant messages discovered on Rice University campus

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