Chicago, Apr 15 (EFE).– The anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has invaded schools and universities across the United States, where the magnate’s followers shout his name to intimidate Latinos and other people of color.

“Trump has become a synonym for hate and his name is used to threaten minorities,” the Midwest regional vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Joe Enriquez Henry, told EFE on Friday.

The activist was referring to recent incidents like the one at a high school girls’ soccer match in Wisconsin, where a group of students yelled “Donald Trump” and “Build the wall” at rival Latino players, a reference to the GOP candidate’s insistence on building a wall on the border with Mexico to keep undocumented migrants out.

Similar incidents took place at high school basketball games in Indiana and Iowa.

The border wall is a big priority for Trump, who the day he announced his run for the presidency referred to undocumented immigrants from Mexico as “bringing drugs…bringing crime…they’re rapists.”

The “Trump effect” has sparked an increase in the harassing and intimidation of students whose race, religion or nationality have been targets of the Republican hopeful, according to a recent study by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks the activities of hate groups.

After examining some 5,000 comments from teachers across the country, the SPLC noted that at least 1,000 of them mentioned Trump as a factor in spreading racial and religious tension. EFE