(Rachel Ravina – MediaNews Group).
The impacts of federal immigration crackdowns made their way into the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting room last week as a public commenter implored elected officials to do more for the county’s immigrant population.
Eider Fernandez, a Norristown resident representing the nonprofit, Unides Para Servir, addressed the commissioners as he took to the podium during the meeting’s public comment portion. Accompanied by a translator, he called for the implementation of a “welcoming act in favor of all the immigrant communities in Montgomery County” as immigration-focused executive actions and directives issued by President Donald Trump have put the community on edge.
“We value the progress that the county has made on behalf of our immigrant community,” Fernandez said. “We firmly believe that a welcoming act will send a powerful message of inclusion, respect and security.
“It is not only about the words, but about a real commitment, allowing many families to live with tranquility and able to contribute to the well-being of our county,” he continued. “A county that welcomes immigrants is a … stronger [county]. We respectfully ask to take this historic commitment and reaffirm your commitment with the values of diversity, equity that represent Montgomery County.”
Montgomery County has an estimated population of 868,742 people, according to July 2024 Census figures, with additional statistics from datausa.io revealing that roughly 10.8 percent of county residents “were born outside of the country” as of 2022. Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairman Neil Makhija estimated the county’s immigrant population at more than 100,000 people.
“Thank you for being here, thank you for your work and Montgomery County would not be the county that we are today … if it were not for our immigrant communities, immigrant population,” he said.
Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder shared a similar sentiment, commending Fernandez for his “courage” and speaking out on Thursday.
“It’s heartbreaking to see what immigrants are facing throughout this country, and I’m really proud of Montgomery County for staying true to our values in making sure that we make Montgomery County an inclusive place to live,” Winder said.
Makhija and Winder, both Democrats, have pledged support in bolstering diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and stressed the importance of advocating for residents regardless of status. The duo held the majority vote in a January salary board meeting that increased the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion four-fold with the creation of four new positions, including a director of immigrant affairs. ACLAMO CEO and Executive Director Nelly Jiménez-Arévalo was tapped for the role and will start this month. Minority Commissioner Tom DiBello, the board’s lone Republican elected official, voted against the positions and her hiring.
DiBello did not participate in Thursday’s discussion, but offered his stance on immigration, telling MediaNews Group on Friday that he “[doesn’t] support the harboring of illegals,” but is “supportive of immigrants who come through the legal channels.”
Makhija emphasized the importance of having Jiménez-Arévalo on board, touting her tenure with ACLAMO, which is focused on serving the area’s Latinx population. Jiménez-Arévalo is expected to take on responsibilities related to immigration through advocacy, resource coordination and policy development to immigrants, refugees and those new to the county.
Makhija underscored that having “someone with that expertise I think will give us an assessment of what we as a community can do better to ensure that we’re including everyone and serving every community.”
Advocates stressed the importance of standing united to support the county’s immigrant community. A late January forum brought 400 people to the Norristown-based nonprofit Centro de Cultura Arte Trabajo y Educacion, also known as CCATE. A buy-in was held to bring some activity back to the Marshall Street commercial district that has been described as a “ghost town” in recent weeks.
While the Municipality of Norristown and Norristown Area School District have published respective guidelines related to immigration, no such status has been designated.
“Obviously, there are concerns given what’s happening federally,” Makhija said. “I don’t want to invite any assurances in regard to immigration enforcement, because we don’t have control over that, and so we can’t falsely give people a sense of security … but we’ll do everything we can in terms of our own actions to make sure people are welcomed in our county, while respecting that we can advocate at the federal level, but we can’t control the policies.”
Winder agreed, adding that she’s “sorry for what our immigrant communities are going through at this point.”
“There are a lot of complexities there, but I want the immigrant communiy across Montgomery to know that we, behind the scenes, are thinking about new, different, expedited ways to support the community, and it doesn’t matter where you come from,” she said.
