Yesenia Vásquez gave a blunt assessment of the feelings among Hispanic immigrants these days in Norristown: "We are afraid and nervous."
Fears are on the rise in this small, struggling Montgomery County city since last week's election of Donald Trump as the next president, said Vásquez, who is an undocumented immigrant.
She and other Hispanic immigrants met Tuesday night with the Norristown Police Department and City Council to plead with officials to designate the municipality a sanctuary city -- as others like Philadelphia are.
Trump has threatened to cut federal funding to any municipality that declares itself as such. Law enforcement in sanctuary cities do not cooperate with federal agencies when dealing with undocumented immigrants in local courts.
"We have made a lot of progress and managed projects," said Vásquez, adding that the Hispanic community in the area represents a third of the population, while in schools the students represent 36 percent of the local district's population.
The group, along with pro-immigrant activists of the Philadelphia-based organization Juntos, is trying to mobilize before measures are implemented on the national level, or more locally, that undermine their stay in that city.
"We want to prevent before we have to regret. This city must be a sanctuary," said Denise Agurto of Juntos.
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Police chief Mark Talbot said his mission is to keep all citizens safe, and not to interfere with their immigration status.
"If I want to be aware of their documentation, I'll be a federal agent," he said. "But that is not the case."
Talbot also promised not to make decisions that correspond to politicians.
The meeting culminated with an applause and a handshake, but some of the immigrant community said uncertainty will remain until they reach a concrete resolution.
