ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown police are investigating a series of racist flyers distributed near Dieruff High School.
The flyer is titled “September 30th: The Day of Reclamation.” It addresses Allentown residents and claims — without providing sources — that 1 in 10 people in the city is undocumented.
The flyer is unidentified but does have a symbol of the Christian cross, and said “paid for by the OSM.” 69 News has not verified what that means.
The flyer also has the number for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security. It says it wants to “take back your city.”
Sheila Alvarado loves the sense of community her Roosevelt Park neighborhood provides. However, the Puerto Rican native and Lehigh County commissioner is one of those targeted in a flyer distributed near Dieruff High School.
The flyer says “September 30th: The Day of Reclamation,” and invokes the American flag being “replaced” by the Puerto Rican flag and English becoming a second language in schools. It also describes undocumented immigrants as responsible for trash, crime, rising rents, pressure on public benefits and lower wages.
“If they feel so upset with the people that live in this community, maybe it’s time for them to move. You know, we have embraced this community,” Alvarado says.
The flyer also says September 30th is when people should report suspected undocumented immigrants to DHS/ICE, to “take back your city.”
With 54% of Allentown’s population being Latino, Mayor Matt Tuerk, who makes no secret of his Latino roots, isn’t sure who the flyer represents.
“Allentown is a city of Allentonians. So the people who live here in Allentown, the people who are contributing to our civic life, that’s whose city this is,” he says.
Tuerk says the flyers were found near Dieruff High School. He’s not sure how many were placed.
Allentown police say they are investigating to see if a crime was committed.