Southwest PA News

Ernest Merrit, a lifelong resident of Charleroi, said he has seen long-term stakeholders pushed out of town as a result of Biden-Harris immigration policy. 

"As a homeowner and long time resident of Charleroi I feel that the town is being destroyed from the inside with a sudden influx over the last few years of immigrants," Merrit told Southwest PA News. "Businesses, long term residents and home owners have been pushed out of town with the influx of immigrants and killed property values while raising taxes for both the borough and the school."

"With values down there is little chance for economic opportunities with various restaurants and long term jobs leaving the town," said Merrit. "The loss of value in the town is due to the sudden influx of immigrants who have scared and pushed long term stakeholders out of town with this policy and put a massive strain on the schools, borough resources and the medical systems."

Ernest Merrit spoke during a Trump rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania | YouTube

Larry M. Celaschi, a councilman for Charleroi borough, has expressed concerns regarding the Biden-Harris administration's handling of immigrant arrivals in the city. He claims that immigrants have been sent to Charleroi without the necessary federal funding to support this influx. Celaschi shared his statement with Southwest PA News.

"The Biden / Harris administration, US senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman have sent many immigrants to Charleroi without any notification," said M Celaschi. "The federal government did not equip our borough with the proper federal funding, educational resources, and overall coaching with this transition. They failed Charleroi because they don't care about Charleroi."

According to U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, Haiti has been designated as a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) country by the Biden-Harris administration. This designation allows Haitian immigrants travel and employment authorization and protects them from removal from the United States. When an immigrant is granted TPS, the Department of Homeland Security cannot detain them based solely on their immigration status.

The Biden-Harris administration recently announced an 18-month extension and redesignation of Haitian migrants for TPS, allowing them to remain in this status until February 3, 2026, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Former President Donald Trump addressed the issue at a rally in Tucson, Arizona, highlighting what he described as a significant increase in Haitian migrants in Charleroi. "Charleroi experienced a 2,000% increase in the population of Haitian migrants under Kamala Harris," Trump said. He urged Pennsylvania voters to remember this statistic when voting and claimed that Haitians are costing local taxpayers substantial amounts of money while contributing to increased crime rates and financial strain on the town.

Reports indicate that Charleroi has indeed seen an over 2,000% increase in its immigrant population since 2022, with most newcomers hailing from Haiti. An article by Inquirer noted that there were fewer than 5,000 residents in Charleroi in 2022 and that foreigners comprised less than 3% of the total population back in 2020.