Norristown’s immigrant, Latino communities grapple with impact from Trump’s immigration policies

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Norristown residents and businesses are grappling with the economic and social impacts of increased federal immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump took office.

With Immigration Customs and Enforcement’s increased presence in the area the past several weeks, community leaders say many immigrant residents are afraid of venturing out of their homes to shop or go to work. Busy commercial corridors such as Marshall Street, home to a number of Latino- and/or immigrant-owned businesses, are emptier than usual.

Community leader Denisse Agurto, executive director of Unides Para Servir Norristown, worked with several other organizers to show support for Latino businesses with a “buy-in” and protest Saturday.

“It’s hard for us, for immigrants to come out, but other communities can come and support us that day,” she said.

People are encouraged to buy from a list of local businesses throughout the day and attend a protest from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Marshall and George streets to advocate for immigrant rights.

Eli Nogueda, owner of Adelita’s Mexican Market, said his sales have been down roughly 40% since December.

“It has impacted a lot of Hispanic businesses,” he said. “People don’t come out. And since people don’t come out to shop, we’re kind of empty.”

Several blocks away, John Jaquez, an employee at the Latino Food Market, said the store has also seen a decline in sales, and is now offering to deliver groceries to customers’ homes.

“For now, we have to do what we have to do,” he said.

The state of fear is a departure from the norm in a borough where more than 30% of the population is Latino, and 17.7% of residents are foreign-born.

“Marshall is full of people but now there’s almost nobody,” Aleyda Benitez, who owns a convenience store, told WHYY News in Spanish.

Benitez has lived in Norristown for 15 years. She said the fear she sees now is different.

“I feel a little sad because I see the difference,” Benitez said. “People would come and buy. Now everyone is a little more sad.”

Nelly Jiménez-Arévalo, the executive director of Norristown-based ACLAMO who was recently named as Montgomery County’s first director of immigrant affairs, said it’s important for local leaders and residents to recognize the economic importance of immigrants in the region.

“Sadly, we have been attached to negative comments that have influenced how people see immigrant communities, but people don’t remember the economic impact, the tax base,” she said.

Jiménez-Arévalo is also urging residents to be cautious about sharing information on social media about ICE sightings to avoid generating more fear.

“It’s important to be prepared and not and we cannot panic, right?” she said. “Every group I’m in, I always tell people when they start posting information, I say, ‘Who is your source? Did you personally witness that transaction? Were they looking for someone who committed a crime and have a warrant, or they were only like looking for whoever, right? And I think educating the community on that and not causing more issues is going to be important moving forward.”