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Hamtramck Councilman Apologizes For Remarks About Immigrants

Hamtramck
WKAR File Photo

A councilman in a diverse Detroit enclave has apologized for comments he made about Yemeni and Bangladeshi immigrants and avoided censure by the elected body.

Hamtramck Councilman Ian Perrotta said Tuesday he never meant ill-will or to disparage any group in comments earlier this month to WWJ-AM.

He said then some of the city's trash problems stem from the fact that many of the city's immigrants come from places where sanitation programs are unavailable or not a priority.

A resolution expressing disapproval and calling his remarks "bigoted" was scrapped before a vote.

Muslims hold four of the council's seats in a city that was settled by Germans, became predominantly Polish in the early 1900s and now has a slight majority of Muslims from Yemen, Bangladesh and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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