Board members at Turning Point USA's chapter at the University of Iowa have apologized after threatening to resign over allegations that the group was planning an immigration event in response to the killing of student Mollie Tibbetts.

Law enforcement has charged Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, in connection with Tibbetts's murder and identified him as an undocumented immigrant, but Rivera's lawyer has disputed that claim.

In an initial letter posted on the Iowa chapter's Twitter account Friday morning, the unnamed students blasted Turning Point USA for using Tibbetts's death to call for immigration reform.

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"We find it in poor taste to exploit the death of a Hawkeye for a political agenda," the group of students wrote, before attacking Owens in particular for a Twitter exchange with a member of Tibbetts's family.

"This board also extends sympathy to the member of Mollie's family that dealt with public harassment from Turning Point USA Communications Director, Candace Owens," the letter reads. "We ask that your exchange with Owens represent only herself and not conservatives as a whole."

Please read our chapters response to the planning of an immigration event hosted by Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens. pic.twitter.com/savLfwf31E — U of Iowa TPUSA (@TPUSAUIOWA) August 24, 2018

A second statement, released hours later, said students unaffiliated with TPUSA had planned the event and invited Kirk and Owens, and that the plans had not been finalized. The staffers apologized to Kirk and Owens, but it was not clear if the resignations had taken effect.

The Hill's request for clarification from the chapter was not immediately answered.

It was a misunderstanding on our end that the event was already planned when it had just been in the works with students not affiliated with UI TPUSA. We sincerely apologize to Charlie and Candace for this misunderstanding. — U of Iowa TPUSA (@TPUSAUIOWA) August 24, 2018

Owens was sharply criticized on Twitter following her exchange with Sam Lucas, a relative of Tibbetts, who demanded that Owens cease using her relative's name for political purposes.

“Hey, I’m a member of Mollie’s family and we are not so f---ing small-minded that we generalize a whole population based on some bad individuals,” Lucas wrote. “Now stop being a f---ing snake and using my cousin's death as political propaganda. Take her name out of your mouth.”

Owens responded, questioning Lucas for not tweeting at the man accused of murdering her relative.

"I find it strange that you have directed obscenities and hate towards people that support the President, but you have not directed a single bad word toward the monster who committed this terrible crime," the conservative activist wrote.

-- Updated 3:05 p.m.