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Hateful note left on UNO student's windshield

The note read, "illegals are not welcome"
Posted at 6:32 PM, Nov 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-13 19:32:04-05

OMAHA, Neb. — On Tuesday evening UNO junior Joshua Garcia had just finished up work. When he was walking to his car to go home, something wasn't sitting right with him.

"I work here at UNO and for the past few days I've felt in my stomach like I've been followed to my car," Garcia said.

Then, he noticed something on his windshield.

"At first I thought it was a parking ticket but I came to realize that it was a note and I had checked if other cars around me had received the same note and it was only my car."

The note read, "illegals are not welcome".

"I'm from here, I was born in the United States," Garcia said.

School officials were supposed to have a meeting Wednesday to discuss the incident but it has been postponed until further notice.

"We just postponed it to later to make sure that we have the appropriate kind of responses for students, which is really our primary concern," UNO Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado said.

The school has been communicating with students and staff regarding the incident.In a letter sent out by Chancellor Jeffrey Gold, the chancellor acknowledged the note and wanted to "address this directly and immediately." The letter also said "at UNO, we tell all of our students you are welcome here and that means everyone."

Garcia has not filed a police report but has been ion contact with the school and public safety. While Elmwood Park is technically off campus, many students park there and walk there almost every day.

"You know it's part of our community and so yes we're very much concerned about the safety of our students when they're there," Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado said.

As for Joshua, he has a message for the individual who left the note.

"I wish I could give this person a big hug to show that person that they shouldn't be feeling like this towards me," he said.

School officials say it'll be nearly impossible to find who left the note because there are no cameras in Elmwood park.