Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Friday blamed Democratic leaders, including the Biden-Harris administration and his political opponent, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), after one Pennsylvania town saw a 2,000 percent increase in migrants under the current administration.
The Republican’s campaign said McCormick released the statement as “reports reveal the small Pennsylvania town of Charleroi is suffering from a [2,000 percent] increase in migrants.”
“Weak immigration policy is hurting Pennsylvania communities. Take the small town of Charleroi, which has grown by 2,000% due to an influx in migrants,” said McCormick.
McCormick stated, “Roads are dangerous, schools are overwhelmed and police are struggling to keep up with the surge. We need strong leadership to fix our immigration crisis and protect Pennsylvania.”
His campaign cited local media reporting in a press release, including a March report by 11 News that revealed the borough of Charleroi’s population was “exploding” in March due to an influx of immigrants that resulted in 172 English Language Learners enrolled in the Charleroi Area School District.
The outlet reported many of the immigrant students “never spoke” English “before stepping foot in Washington County,” which has required the school to retain new staff to teach them English or translate. As a result, the outlet reported the Charleroi Area School District was “the highest-taxed district in the county.”
More recently, on Thursday, it was reported that the city approved a $73,000 increase in its police budget to cope with the dramatically increased population.
According to The Daily Wire, Charleroi boasted only around 4,200 residents in 2022, but the population has doubled as migrants settle in the city under the Biden-Harris administration.
Charleroi is located about an hour from downtown Pittsburgh, and U.S. Census records reveal its population had declined since the 1930s when it held just over 10,000 residents.
One resident told the outlet that migrants are “issued driver’s licenses but do not know how to read the traffic signs, causing numerous traffic accidents,” with one causing an accident or property damage “just about every week.”
The outlet compared the conditions in Charleroi to those of Springfield, Ohio, which is now home to a Haitian migrant population that has increased by more than 20 percent.
Former President Donald Trump drew attention to Springfield during his Tuesday debate against Vice President Kamala Harris when he referenced unconfirmed reports that some migrants have eaten family pets and park animals after relocating to the Ohio town under the Biden-Harris administration.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
