Waves of Poor Refugees Crash Manchester, N.H.; What Would Newt Do?

Will Newt Gingrich's "humane" musings on immigration blow up in his face in New Hampshire, home of the nation's first presidential primary?

The New York Times reports that an influx of immigrants to Manchester has prompted local leaders to seek a moratorium on refugee resettlement there.

The state's largest city has received more than 2,100 refugees over the past decade. That's "more than the city of 109,500 can assure jobs and decent housing for," Mayor Ted Gatsas told the Times.

Refugees admitted by the federal government and illegal aliens who sneak past the federal government aren't the same, exactly. But both groups stress social services and compete for scarce jobs.

"There's a direct correlation between more foreign arrivals and new mouths to feed -- at public expense," says James Edwards of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Speaking of refugee programs, Edwards said towns like Manchester "end up bearing the long-term costs." More than 60 languages are now found in Manchester schools.