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The Illini Republicans club at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is facing backlash after posting an illustration on social media of a masked gunman holding a weapon to a kneeling man’s head — alongside the caption, “Only traitors help invaders.”
The Instagram post, published Friday, also says Alex Pretti and Renée Good — who were both fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month — had “voided their liberties the moment they decided they were above the law.”
“Our nation has come under invasion from the masses of the third world and those incompatible with Western civilization,” the post says. “Now, the current administration, as duly elected by its people to do so, has taken a stand against this invasion.”
The illustration was later deleted from the post, as first reported by the Daily Illini. But it prompted a complaint to the university’s Title VI Office, and drew a slew of criticism from U. of I. students online, who argue that it glorified the deaths of Pretti and Good as well as the unrest engulfing Minnesota.
“My first initial reaction was just disgust, horror and nausea,” said sophomore Rylee Graves, 19, a member of Illini Democrats. “For them to say that that post was not violent or they weren’t condoning violence is a lie, and they know exactly what they’re doing.”
The image, set against the backdrop of the American flag, depicts a bearded man with his back turned as the gunman looms above him. Some students said that both the man and the scene resembled the Jan. 24 killing of Pretti, who was shot multiple times in the back.
Illini Republicans wrote in an email to the Tribune that the image was removed “to prevent misinterpretation while we review concerns,” but it was “not an admission of wrongdoing.” They declined a request for an interview.
“We take concerns raised by others seriously and are committed to engaging in good-faith dialogue while exercising our right to express political viewpoints as a registered student organization,” the club wrote.
“The claim that the post glorifies or endorses violence is incorrect,” the club added. “At no point did it advocate harm, violence or extrajudicial action against any individual or group.”
The post is under review by the university’s Title VI Office, which investigates civil rights complaints, according to a statement from a U. of I. spokesperson. As a registered student organization, Illini Republicans are required to follow the student code of conduct, but U. of I. “cannot discipline them for the viewpoint or content of protected speech,” the spokesperson added.
“Hate and intolerance are not aligned with our university values,” the spokesperson said. “We strive to be a campus where every member of our community has a transformative and positive experience.”
More than 1,600 people have commented on the post since Friday. It was posted the same day as “ICE Out” demonstrations across the U.S., including a walkout on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
The intensified immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, began in December. Good was shot during an encounter with agents Jan. 7, and Pretti was shot Jan. 24. The Trump administration said the use of force was justified — but videos of both incidents contradict those claims.
When Lillie Salas saw the Illini Republicans’ post, her emotions fluctuated from disbelief to outrage. It’s jarring knowing that some of her classmates felt comfortable using phrases such as “foreign invaders” to refer to immigrants, the 22-year-old senior said.
Citizens who stand against Trump’s immigration aren’t “traitors” either, she added. She said that type of rhetoric is “racist” and shouldn’t be acceptable on campus.
“I honestly felt very concerned and scared,” Salas said. “It kind of hits differently to see groups so close to you spewing hate so outspokenly. … I know a lot of immigrants who are the most dedicated, hardworking people I’ve ever met in my life.”
It’s a feeling Salas, who is Mexican American, said she’s grown accustomed to during Trump’s immigration crackdown. She’s sensed anxiety on campus, particularly with her Hispanic friends who’ve told her about feeling “frozen in time “and “stuck.”
Cat Lodico, a 20-year-old sophomore, likewise, said she’s seen the stress her friends who are international students have faced in recent months. They worry that if they do or say the wrong thing, their visa will get revoked, and they won’t be able to continue their studies.
U. of I. has one of the largest international student populations in the country. The Illini Republicans post calls immigrants without legal status “enemies of the American people.”
“Although the main focus is studying and getting good grades and the normal college life, because of what’s going on in the country now, there is that anxiety and worriedness in the back of everyone’s mind,” Lodico said, adding that her mom also immigrated to the U.S. from China.
Lodico said as an engineering major, she’s not the most politically involved, but she tries to stay informed. Even still, she said she was shocked and “genuinely concerned” that people her age could agree with Illini Republicans’ post.
“Saying we stand with enforcement of the law, like is it really lawful for random (immigration agents) to be killing other people,” she said. “I just feel like it’s so backward.”
College campuses have increasingly become flashpoints in national debates over free speech.
In the wake of mass student protests over the war in Gaza in 2024, Republican lawmakers have criticized elite colleges and progressive campus culture. The Trump administration froze millions in federal research funding at universities, including at Northwestern University, accusing them of failing to address antisemitism.
Meanwhile, in September, the killing of Charlie Kirk — a right-wing activist and founder of Turning Point USA — ignited a surge of conservative activism on campuses.
Lodico said it seems hypocritical for Illini Republicans to seemingly make light of the deaths of Pretti and Good, given the outcry over Kirk’s killing.
“When people die from ICE suddenly it doesn’t matter? Suddenly it’s valid to shoot people? The logic is not logic-ing, you know,” she said.
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Kate Armanini, Rebecca Johnson
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