Catalina Cruz represents the 39th District in the New York State Assembly, one of the most diverse districts in the country. She is widely recognized as a community leader, tenants’ rights advocate, and defender of workers and immigrants. Before becoming an assembly member, she practiced housing law and held various positions in both city and state government. Cruz focuses on drafting legislation and implementing initiatives related to women’s rights, labor protections, and small business development. Learn more about this dedicated public servant at queensyes.com.
An Undocumented Immigrant
Catalina Cruz was born in 1982 (or 1983, according to some sources) in Medellín, Colombia. At the age of nine, she and her mother arrived in the United States on a tourist visa, which allowed for only a six-month stay. However, they remained in the U.S., and Cruz lived undocumented for over ten years until she eventually married an American citizen.
Like many immigrants, Cruz and her mother faced significant hardships during their early years in the U.S. Her single mother worked tirelessly to provide for Catalina and three other children. She spent her days as a childcare worker, her nights cleaning offices, and her weekends selling traditional Colombian food at local soccer fields. Inspired by her mother’s perseverance, Cruz dedicated her career to fighting for immigrant communities, striving to help people live with dignity rather than merely survive.
Education and Early Career
In 2001, Cruz graduated from high school in Flushing, Queens, and four years later, she earned a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology with honors from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. In 2009, she obtained her Juris Doctor degree from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law. These institutions not only provided her with essential skills but also introduced her to people who shaped her personal and professional development, laying the foundation for her future success.
Legal Career
After completing her education, Cruz became an assistant to then-New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, where she focused on investigating immigration fraud cases and worked closely with the prosecutor’s office. From 2009 to 2012, she served as a legal advisor at the Goddard Riverside Community Center, a New York-based nonprofit organization that provides essential services such as food, housing, and education. Interestingly, Cruz was inspired to pursue a career in law by the very lawyer who handled her own immigration paperwork.
Path to Politics
Between 2012 and 2014, Cruz worked as a policy and immigrant affairs advisor for the New York State Department of Labor. In this role, she assisted immigrant workers and small business owners while also contributing to efforts to combat human trafficking. She was then appointed legal counsel to the New York City Council’s Immigration Committee, where her primary focus was increasing awareness of labor exploitation among domestic workers.
From 2015 to 2017, Cruz led the Office of Labor and Workforce Development under Governor Andrew Cuomo. She was responsible for labor and workforce issues and spearheaded the Exploited Workers Task Force, which grew out of an earlier initiative she launched to protect workers in nail salons. Over time, this effort expanded to cover 80,000 workers and business owners. In 2017, Cruz became chief of staff for New York City Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland.
Election to the New York State Assembly
In February 2018, Cruz announced her candidacy for the New York State Assembly, aiming to represent the 39th District, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. With training from the New American Leaders campaign program, Cruz successfully won the election and took office on January 3, 2019.
Since taking office, Cruz has successfully passed over 20 new laws addressing food security, healthcare funding, and senior citizen protections. She has played a pivotal role in securing billions of dollars in funding for schools, hospitals, and libraries in her district through historic state budgets. Her hardworking staff has helped thousands of constituents gain access to legal assistance, unemployment benefits, health insurance, and pandemic relief aid. Additionally, they have provided support with mortgages, rent payments, and utility bills.
Cruz and her team have also worked to improve the community’s quality of life, tackling issues such as waste management, graffiti removal, and snow cleanup. She has organized numerous community events, including school supply giveaways, neighborhood cleanups, and public service initiatives.
A Champion for Immigrants and Social Justice
As a former undocumented immigrant, Cruz deeply understands the struggles faced by those arriving in the United States. Due to her lack of legal status, she and her mother were once unable to return to Colombia to bury her grandmother. Today, she dedicates herself to improving immigration policies and making public transportation, education, and healthcare more accessible. Additionally, she advocates for the expansion of affordable housing and enhanced workers’ rights, ensuring that New York remains a place where all residents can thrive.