Leader of Norristown nonprofit to become Montgomery County’s first immigrant affairs director

The leader of a Norristown-based social services nonprofit will be Montgomery County’s first director of immigrant affairs.

County leaders announced Thursday they had hired Nelly Jiménez-Arévalo, executive director of ACLAMO, for the new position. She is expected to play a critical role in coordinating with and reaching out to immigrant communities — regardless of legal status — as President Donald Trump pursues aggressive immigration enforcement.

“I’ve known Nelly for some time now and she’s done some amazing things to really grow ACLAMO’s footprint in the Latino community,” said Commissioner Jamila Winder, a Democrat.

For the last 10 years, Jiménez-Arévalo has led ACLAMO, a suburban nonprofit that advocates for the local Latino community while providing a wide range of bilingual services including educational programs, maternal health clinics, and housing assistance. The organization also advocates for immigrant rights and holds regular “know your rights” events.

In a written statement, Jiménez-Arévalo, who is from Venezuela, said she was eager to continue working to empower diverse communities.

“My journey from Caracas to Norristown began 27 years ago. Since then I have dedicated my life to making sure that everyone who makes Montgomery County home feels welcome and supported to thrive and achieve great things,” she said.

Montgomery County’s Board of Commissioners approved Jiménez-Arévalo’s hiring during Thursday’s board meeting as part of a slate of new hires. Republican Commissioner Tom DiBello voted against the full slate. Though he declined to name specific reasons or positions, DiBello said he had concerns with some of the hires.

Commissioner Neil Makhija, a Democrat who chairs the board, called Jiménez-Arévalo “an extraordinary leader in the community.”

“I look forward to bringing her on board as the director of immigrant affairs,” he said. “We can make sure that we’re serving over 100,000 residents who are foreign-born in Montgomery County who play essential roles across economic sectors and spheres.”

Jiménez-Arévalo is set to start work in March and will be one of four new hires in the county’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as it expands this year. Her hiring comes as local governments across Pennsylvania respond to heightened fears prompted by the Trump administration’s deportation actions and reduced support for refugees.

Days into the Trump administration, Philadelphia’s executive director in the Office of Immigrant Affairs, Amy Eusebio, resigned. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration told council members last month that the city is conducting interviews to fill vacancies.

Allentown City Council approved Wednesday a “Welcoming City” ordinance blocking local police from collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, a move taken as Trump’s Justice Department warns of legal consequences for local officials who impede the federal crackdown on illegal immigration.

While Montgomery County has not considered a similar policy, Makhija said last month he expected the new immigrant affairs director to coordinate efforts to ensure immigrants could feel safe living in the county and interacting with the government.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, just over 11% of Montgomery County’s population is foreign-born.