Graphic Anti-ICE Poster Found at University of Wisconsin Prompts Police Investigation and Campus Backlash
MADISON, WISCONSIN — Police at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have launched an investigation after a graphic poster encouraging violence against ICE agents appeared on campus this week — showing a figure with “ICE” written on their vest being shot in the head under the caption, “Speak their language.”
The disturbing image was first spotted by a student and later posted on social media by the Wisconsin College Republicans, drawing immediate outrage and calls for accountability from campus leaders.
Poster Depicts Graphic Violence, Urges ‘Action’
The image depicts an ICE agent with a bullet wound to the head, with blood forming a thought bubble. Below, text reads: “You can’t vote away fascism.”
University officials confirmed Thursday that campus police are also investigating graffiti with similar anti-ICE messages found elsewhere in Madison. Both the poster and graffiti appeared days after a rise in political tensions on campuses across Wisconsin following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.
Conservative Students Sound Alarm Over Escalating Rhetoric
Nick Jacobs, chairman of the Wisconsin College Republicans and a student at UW–River Falls, told Fox News Digital that this was not an isolated incident.
“It’s almost celebrated among students to write threatening things about college Republicans, about ICE agents, about Republicans,” Jacobs said.
“At my school, we held a chalk memorial for Charlie Kirk, and within an hour, leftists wrote what was on the bullet casing from the assassin. It’s gotten that bad.”
Jacobs accused university administrators of maintaining “radio silence” when conservative students face threats or violence — contrasting it with their responses to other high-profile national events like the George Floyd protests.
“When Floyd was killed, schools offered counseling to students. But when a student like Charlie Kirk is assassinated, there’s silence. That does not sit right with me,” Jacobs said.
Campus Officials Cite ‘Neutrality’ Policy
A UW–River Falls professor, Trevor Tomesh, also went viral for criticizing what he described as an “isolating environment” for conservatives in Wisconsin’s higher education system.
Tomesh said the lack of public response to Kirk’s killing “spells the death of the university,” arguing that free expression is being stifled by fear and partisanship.
However, university officials defended their approach, citing the Institutional Statements Policy enacted in June 2025, which limits statements to matters directly affecting university operations.
“UW–River Falls adheres to institutional neutrality,” the university said in a statement. “Our policy is rooted in the principle that such statements should remain viewpoint-neutral and directly tied to the core mission of the university.”
Growing Tensions on Wisconsin Campuses
The anti-ICE imagery has intensified already heated debates about political expression and safety on college campuses. DHS officials have recently linked the rise in assaults against ICE agents to escalating political rhetoric, warning that such language can lead to real-world violence.
Meanwhile, students and faculty at UW–Madison say the posters reflect a broader problem of extremism spreading online and in activist circles, urging stronger enforcement of speech and safety policies.
Police continue to investigate the source of the posters and whether the same individuals are responsible for the graffiti found nearby.
What do you think — should universities issue stronger statements against politically motivated violence, or remain neutral as they claim?
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