Mayor Lou Barletta...says the quality of life in the town of 31,000 has fallen because of an influx of illegal immigrants, mostly from Central America....
Hazleton's Hispanic population has reached about a third of the town's total in the last five years. An estimated 25% of immigrants are believed to be illegal....
I heard Mayor Barletta on a talk show a couple of months ago. Apparently the town isn't just looking for a scapegoat for its ills. According to him, ALL murders in the town and nearly all violent (and non-violent) crimes have been traced to illegals. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, smells like a duck, and acts like a duck, you're a fool to try to avoid calling it a duck.
Kudos to Mayor Barletta and the town fathers for actually putting the safety, welfare and survival of their citizens FIRST.