Atlantic County’s Spanish Community Center’s interim leader Lydia Munoz, 81, braces herself to support immigrant families

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At a time when most people retire and reflect on their accomplishments, Lydia Munoz is still on the move.

The 81-year-old was recently asked to return to her old job at Atlantic County’s Spanish Community Center, where she worked as executive director. Munoz rejoined this summer to serve as its leader in an interim role, continuing to do something she loves in helping people.

“I honestly feel that God has put me here for a reason,” Munoz said. “As long as I can continue to do the work that I do, I’m going to do it. If someone needs my expertise in the years that I have left, I’m going to serve the community.”

With the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, activists like Munoz are doubling down to support vulnerable members of the community. They are working as translators, and supporting community members with resources.

‘The work is more difficult now’

Munoz has worked with the local Hispanic community since 1970, helping farm workers in the Hammonton area work through their language barrier. The Spanish Community Center founder Rev. William Collins saw Munoz’s work and passion and picked her to become its first executive director.

A licensed clinician, Munoz has spent more than a half-century assisting migrant families with information and resources, whether it is giving them documentation, making phone calls on their behalf or hand holding them to various processes for aid and help.

The current actions by the federal government have made Munoz’s work much more difficult, she said.

“It’s very shocking and very sad what’s going on out there today.” Munoz said, describing one incident where authorities agents detained a father, who was dropping off his child at school. The family was later reunited but the ordeal left them traumatized.

“I was able to bring them back together. I’ve been able to stay in contact with them because of the trauma she underwent along with the children because the family loss a son the year before. It’s horrible that families are being torn apart and their rights are being violated,” she said.

Edgar Aquino-Huerta, a South Jersey farmworker organizer at CATA, confirmed the “fear” among South Jersey’s Latino community. He said that while most of the interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have happened so far in northern and central New Jersey, there is concern that more intense action may arrive in this region soon.

“There’s a lot of fear right now,” Aquino-Huerta said. “Having that information make a big difference. We’ve talked about the different ways in how ICE is getting more creative. Just knowing the different warrants and their rights makes a big difference.”

Community leaders say Munoz is needed at her job now more than ever

According to a Pew Research Center report released Aug. 21, New Jersey had the fifth-highest number of undocumented people living in its borders in 2023 with 600,000, only topped by California (2.3 million), Texas (2.1 million), Florida (1.6 million) and New York (825,000).

According to ICE, as of Aug. 29, authorities have arrested 527,459 undocumented people from across the country. While state-specific arrest statistics could not be found, ICE stats state that 4,003 people who were arrested and held at one time in Newark had criminal convictions, and another 3,825 have pending charges. Another 24,425 arrests involve “other immigration violators.”

Dr. George Scott, a physician connected to Rowan University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine and the chair of the Spanish Community Center’s board of directors, said the current climate facing undocumented people and the Hispanic community in general highlights the importance of having Munoz and her institutional experience on board.

“I believe she is dynamic, engaging, thoughtful, insightful and just a ball of energy,” Scott said of Munoz. “I would like to have her energy when I reach 80. We hope to do this [name a new executive director] over the next three months, but right now we need stability and someone who is deeply enmeshed in the community who is respected and understands the complexities of running a nonprofit.”

Munoz, who has one of the two buildings run by the Spanish Community Center named after her, said she remains enthusiastic about her work, despite it becoming more difficult over the past eight months.

“I advocate for folks, and I will continue to do that until my last breath,” Munoz said. “It’s really sad what’s happening to families. Some don’t have all of their documents in order and they come here trying to provide a better life for their children. I continue to educate them and let them know what their rights are. If they need me, I’m right here for them.”

Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo knows firsthand about Munoz’s determination and spirit. They forged a friendship in 1982 when Munoz was a member of the Atlantic Cape Community College board and Giralo was its student representative. Giralo said Munuz is needed at the job now more than ever.

“Her knowledge of helping farm workers and their families; there’s no one else who knows the ins and outs of assisting them in this political environment like Lydia,” Giralo said. “The laborers who supply the food for us to put on our tables need more help than ever. I’ve seen the good things she’s done, how she took cases on. She simply refuses to let some people fail.”

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