Princeton Community Discusses Reactions To Donald Trump's Election At Community Meeting

Princeton, NJ -- Dave Davis vowed that he would be the voice of inclusion and offer an “alternative Christian voice” to the one that is being heard around the country in the aftermath of Republican Donald Trump’s surprise win in Tuesday’s presidential election, the Princeton Packet reports.

He made the comments during a community meeting held Thursday night in the Community Room at the Princeton Public Library. Davis is the senior pastor at Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton Clergy Association President and a board member with the YMCA.

He also suggested local houses of worship could act as sanctuaries for families whose statuses are being decided, according to the report.

Leticia Fraga, Chair of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said she’s heard of children coming home from school crying after classmates told them they were going to be “sent out,” according to the report. “The immigrant community is afraid to come out,” she said.

HiTOPS is increasing their services for LGBTQ youth who are afraid the progress they’ve made in the past eight years under President Barack Obama is going to disappear, according to the report.

The fear comes following a campaign in which Trump vowed to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, calling Mexicans “rapists and murderers.” He’s also said he will ban Muslims from coming to the United States, a message that was initially removed from his website following his victory and restored on Friday.

An image of Trump seemingly mocking a reporter with disabilities became popular campaign fodder for his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, but none of these controversial policies deterred supporters from pushing him into the White House earlier this week.

The reaction to his election has included three consecutive nights of protests, including some that became violent.

“In the aftermath of one of the most divisive elections in our country’s history, it is important for us to come together as a town and recommit ourselves to the values of inclusion, diversity, and opportunity,” Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert said in a statement issued Wednesday evening to announce the Thursday night community meeting. “Much can happen at the local level, and we all have a role to play in shaping our community as a place of welcome and support for neighbors in need."