A group of fraternity members at Tulane University are under fire after building a wall of sandbags with the message "Make America Great Again" and a picture of Donald Trump plastered across it.

The wall is believed to have been erected at an off-campus house by Kappa Alpha Oder members on April 7, with pictures of it openly posted on social media soon thereafter. The local chapter of the fraternity has a history of having pledges build walls around its private property each spring in anticipation of its "old South" formal ball.

But critics charge this time is like no other, with the wall "filled with connotations of hate and ignorance."

Wall Demolished by Protesters

The wall has since been torn down by a group of protesters believed to include players from the school's football team.

"These connotations most directly mocked the experiences of Latino immigrants and workers throughout our nation," a post on student Ana De Santiago's Facebook read.

Since launching his campaign, Trump has derided Mexican immigrants as "rapists" and insisted "when Mexico sends its people, they're not sending the best...they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime."

Trump has also vowed to deport up to 11 million immigrants if he is elected and build a massive wall along the Mexican border to keep immigrants out.

Since the wall went up, the University has released a statement saying that while it encourages the "free exchange of ideas and opinions" the local chapter's actions "sparked a visceral reaction in the context of a very heated and divisive political season."

Latino Group Sets up Change.org Page in Protest

Meanwhile, Latino student advocacy group Generating Excellence Now and Tomorrow in Education (GENTE) has set up a Change.org petition against the university's administration.

According to the fraternity's website, KA was founded in 1865 and Robert E Lee is listed as its spiritual founder. Lee is known for leading the Confederate army during the Civil War.

Just over five years ago, the national fraternity chapter mandated a formal ban on fraternity members wearing Confederate soldier uniforms to its annual Old South Ball.

Related