“AN AMAZING LEADER:” Maria Juega retired last month as executive director of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a group, now based in Trenton, that she co-founded in Princeton 12 years ago. During these troubled times, she urges patience and faith in “a country that believes in and defends human rights.”

Expressing both concern and hope, Maria Juega, co-founder and recently retired executive director of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF), reflected on the current political climate and the challenges for immigrant communities in Trenton and Princeton.

“There’s lots of uncertainty,” she stated. “The picture is very cloudy in terms of the environment we’re going to be facing going forward. We need to wait and see. In the meantime we need to serve and support our community.” In asserting the ongoing commitment of the LALDEF and the abilities of her successor, Adriana Abizadeh, Ms. Juega urged patience and calmness in the face of disturbing rhetoric from the national political arena.

“There have been statements made by the president-elect that are causes for concern,” she said, ”but talking is one thing and the reality of implementing policy that will be counterproductive to the welfare of our communities is something else. As reality sets in we’re hopeful that policies will accomodate the realities of people’s needs.”

Ms. Juega noted that the principles on which LALDEF was founded — to defend the civil rights of Latin Americans and facilitate their access to health care and education, as well as to advance cross-cultural understanding in the Mercer County region — are also the principles of the nation.

“This is a country that believes in — and defends human rights,” she said. “We need to have faith that that will prevail. We need to continue to assert those rights and educate our community for the good of us all. We must keep the faith.”

Perceiving high stress levels and increasing anxieties in the groups served by LALDEF, she recommended that local residents continue with their daily lives and remain calm, and she further urged understanding and empathy from the community. “Keep us in mind,” she entreated. “We serve a population that is often hidden and not well understood, but they are members of our community. They play important roles. They don’t speak up. They are self-effacing, but they need help.

“Think of the stresses on these families,” she continued. “Sometimes individuals must make the decision to go back home and leave children behind — a wrenching decision, if you can imagine it. We should learn from history and make things better for these people. We should change things so it doesn’t have to be so difficult.”

Ms. Juega recalled the origins of LALDEF. “We wanted to try to change things,” she said. In the wake of increasing immigration law enforcement by the newly formed Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of 9/11, Ms. Juega, who has lived in Princeton since 1986, teamed up with a group of Princeton residents to initiate the LALDEF in 2004.

“We were seeing many heads of households being picked up in the early morning hours and being deported. We were seeing families being deported. Children, U.S.-born citizens were left distraught and traumatized. That was our catalyst for coming into being.”

The LALDEF started out with a skeleton staff in the basement of the Nassau Street Presbyterian Church. In 2008 they moved to Trenton, where in 2013 they opened their current headquarters, Welcome House/Casa de Bienvenida Community Center, across from the St. Francis Medical Center on Chambers Street.

The LALDEF has grown steadily over the past 12 years, and Ms. Juega noted, “We have gradually expanded our work, but unfortunately there are so many people who need our services, and we struggle to find the resources necessary.” She added that their language classes (ESL) serve 45 adult students every three weeks, with a long waiting list and lots of volunteers, but nowhere to accommodate them. “We’ve outgrown the space we’re in.”

Continuing to be involved “in a limited capacity,” Ms. Juega expressed optimism about the future of LALDEF under Ms. Abizadeh. “The organization needed younger, more energetic leadership,” she said. “Change is good, and new ideas need to be coming in. I’m confident that my successor will continue the important work of LALDEF. She has loads of energy and ideas and is very competent. I hope everybody will support her the way they have supported me. I have great expectations that she will do an excellent job to bring the organization to new levels.”

Ms. Abizadeh, who took the helm of LALDEF last month, described her predecessor as “an amazing leader who has helped the organization to grow rapidly. I have big shoes to fill, but she’s been very helpful to me in the transition.”

Reporting a significant level of fear among members of the immigrant community in Princeton and Trenton in the aftermath of the recent campaign and election, Ms. Abizadeh stated, “Our work is heightened at this point.” She noted that LALDEF’s priority is to continue providing the services they’re known for, to remain a safe place for immigrants, and to step up their advocacy at the local state and national levels.

She added that they would be working to provide positive legislation that would support a better environment for immigrants, and she stated that LALDEF will soon be holding information sessions in Princeton and Trenton to make sure residents know their rights and are prepared for future challenges.