Another town in America’s heartland stretched thin over influx of immigrants: ‘We need some federal help’
Locals in the small town of Logansport, Indiana, are sounding the alarm about the community’s overwhelmed resources due to a massive influx of foreign nationals who have arrived in the area over the past three years under the Biden-Harris administration.
The community’s concerns mirror recent reports out of Springfield, Ohio, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, two small cities that have experienced a significant increase in immigrant arrivals.
‘We are a small rural community in Indiana who is facing challenges of a large increase in population.’
Residents in Logansport, a rural town with a population of 18,000, are pleading with the federal government to provide more resources to address their strained hospitals and school system.
While it is unclear how many immigrants have moved to the area over the past few years, one local business owner speculated that the number was “maybe more than 2,000,” according to WXIN.
Mayor Chris Martin told the news outlet that others have stated that 5,000 Haitian nationals have moved to the area, but he noted that there is no way to be sure of the exact number.
Martin explained that he knows the influx is significant because there has been a 20%-30% increase in demand for local services. He cited “traffic, school, and the hospital” as examples.
“The federal government has got to step in and help communities our size,” Martin said. “We are a small rural community in Indiana who is facing challenges of a large increase in population.”
Logansport Memorial Hospital told WXIN that the town is on pace for record-shattering birth rates. The hospital stated that it has been utilizing interpreter services to provide assistance to the foreign nationals.
The school system had 150 new students enrolled over the past three years. There are currently 207 Haitian students, compared to just 14 in 2021. New students from 11 other countries have also enrolled in the school system within the past few years.
Cass County Health Department Administrator Serenity Alter stated in September that many of the new students are unaccompanied minors.
“They fly from Haiti to Nicaragua, to Mexico, and then to the state they are flying to in the U.S.,” she stated. “Some have not seen their parents in seven years. It’s an eye-opener.”
“I don’t think our school system can sustain what they are doing right now,” Alter declared.
District Superintendent Michele Starkey disagreed, stating, “We can handle it.”
“We are a public school, so we take in everyone who comes through the door and we meet them where they are no matter what,” Starkey told WXIN.
The school district has even coordinated with students’ schedules, allowing them to attend a few hours of classes each day so that they can work full shifts in the evenings.
“While it might be startling to some people, we have students that work second- and third-shift jobs to help support their families,” Starkey stated.
As far as why the foreign nationals have decided to make Logansport their home, some speculate it has something to do with the Tyson meatpacking plant.
The company did not respond to a request for comment from WXIN.
Dave Price, a Logansport resident, told Fox News this week, “We need some help here. We need some federal help.”
“We had immigrants come in throughout the years to Logansport from the Mexico area, so we have a lot of Hispanics in the area which have acclimated very well, and they’ve grown their businesses, and they’ve earned the respect of Americans, and we’ve respected them in return,” Price stated. “But what we’re seeing now is a little different. It’s coming from a Third World country coming into Logansport, and these individuals don’t necessarily know the local laws or rules and how to behave here.”
The mayor stated that he is considering declaring a state of emergency.
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