Charleroi residents, leaders respond to former President Trump’s comments on immigrant population

CHARLEROI, Pa. — Despite the nice weather on Monday, it was a quiet afternoon walking up and down the streets of Charleroi. But, the small river town is anything but quiet after it was thrust into the national spotlight over the weekend when former President Donald Trump made comments about the town’s Haitian immigrant population.

John Dusha doesn’t live in Charleroi, but he makes several trips to the borough. On Monday — he was in town while his car was in the shop.

“My sister lives nearby, I’d say [I visit Charleroi] maybe three times a month,” Dusha told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

Over the years, he’s noticed more immigrants out and about.

“I have seen more foreigners and actually have spoken to a few and that’s where I found out they were Haitian,” Dusha said.

Charleroi was thrust into the national spotlight last week by former President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona, Trump mentioned the influx of immigrants to the borough.

“The small 4,000-person town of Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Charleroi. What a beautiful name. It’s not so beautiful now. Has experienced a 2,000% increase in the population of Haitian migrants under Kamala Harris,” Trump said. “This is a small town, all of a sudden they’ve got thousands of people.”

The comments, amplified by Republican Senate Candidate Dave McCormick this weekend, were not well received by Kristin Hopkins-Calcek, the borough council president.

“I don’t look kindly at anyone using our town for political gain unless they are willing to offer help,” Hopkins-Cakcek told Channel 11′s Havranek.

Hopkins-Calcek said Charleroi’s problems are not because of immigrants. She was out of town Monday attending meetings to try to keep the Anchor Hocking glass plant in town after the company announced plans to close it for good by the end of the year.

“At this point, we have possibly 325 people who are fighting for their jobs and industry in our town that is at risk and we have workers from 44 different nationalities who have worked our industry and town,” she said.

With the new national attention, she’s calling for elected leaders to send funds to Charleroi to help. One of the things they need help with is students in the school district — many of whom don’t speak English.

Channel 11 told you in the spring the district was working to support a growing number of English-as-a-Second-Language students, there are now 225 students in the program — up from 172 in March.

“We are one of the only small towns in Pennsylvania that have a population increase and an upturn in our economy,” Hopkins-Calcek said. “I don’t want anyone’s comments on either side of the aisle to take us back.”

Donald Trump won 61% of the vote in Washington County in both 2016 and 2020, and he’s hoping to get more out of the county this November.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group