Catalina Cruz: Biography
Catalina Cruz is a Colombian-American attorney and Democratic politician who has represented the 39th Assembly District in Queens since 2019, covering the neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and parts of Middle Village and Rego Park. Born in Medellin, Colombia, she came to the United States at age nine and lived as an undocumented immigrant for more than a decade, becoming the first former DREAMer elected to office in New York State. This biography covers her origins, education, career, and rise, with citations to primary or strong secondary sources.
Early life and family
Cruz was born around 1982 or 1983 in Medellin, Colombia 1.
Cruz was born around 1982 or 1983 in Medellin, Colombia 1. In 1992, when she was nine years old, she and her mother came to the United States on a six-month tourist visa; they remained after the visa expired, and Cruz was undocumented for more than ten years 1,2. She grew up in Brooklyn and Queens, one of five siblings, three of whom are U.S. citizens 1. Her mother was a single parent who worked as a nanny during the week, cleaned offices at night, and sold tamales and empanadas at soccer fields on weekends to support four children 3,4. Cruz has described going to school not knowing whether her mother would be home or would have been deported 5. This deeply personal immigrant experience is the foundation of her political identity.
Path to citizenship
Cruz married her high school boyfriend in 2003, which allowed her to obtain a green card in 2005 and become a U.S.
Cruz married her high school boyfriend in 2003, which allowed her to obtain a green card in 2005 and become a U.S. citizen in 2009 1. She has said that the immigration attorney who handled her case inspired her to go to law school 1. Her citizenship later allowed her to sponsor her mother's own citizenship 1.
Education
Cruz graduated from John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens, in 2001 1.
Cruz graduated from John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens, in 2001 1. She earned a bachelor's degree with honors in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2005 and a Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law in 2009 1,6. Her education at public institutions grounded her in the communities she would later serve and represent.
Legal and government career
Cruz built a career in housing law, immigration advocacy, and government before seeking office.
Cruz built a career in housing law, immigration advocacy, and government before seeking office. She began as a staff attorney representing low-income, rent-stabilized tenants in housing court, then served as a Volunteer Assistant Attorney General under Andrew Cuomo focusing on immigration-services fraud 1,7. She went on to serve as counsel at the Goddard Riverside SRO Law Project, as counsel to the New York City Council's Immigration Committee (where she helped draft and implement legislation making New York City a sanctuary city, including the Detainer Law and the IDNYC municipal identification program), as chief of staff to Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland on the Finance Committee, and as director of Governor Cuomo's Exploited Workers Task Force 7,8. This progression through legal, legislative, and executive roles prepared her for elected office.
Personal life
Cruz lives in Jackson Heights, Queens 3.
Cruz lives in Jackson Heights, Queens 3. She divorced her first husband, a former NYPD police officer 1. Additional personal details were not reliably established in the research underlying this piece. Net worth and religion were not established.
Election to the Assembly
In 2018, Cruz ran for the 39th Assembly District seat and won the Democratic primary with 53 percent of the vote, defeating the party-backed incumbent 1,9.
In 2018, Cruz ran for the 39th Assembly District seat and won the Democratic primary with 53 percent of the vote, defeating the party-backed incumbent 1,9. She ran unopposed in the general election and took office in January 2019, becoming the first former DREAMer elected to office in New York State and only the third nationally 1,5. She has been re-elected since. Her elections are detailed in the campaigns section of this series.
In the Assembly
Cruz chairs the Assembly's Task Force on New Americans and has built a legislative record focused on immigration, tenant protections, food security, healthcare costs, and workers' rights 6,10.
Cruz chairs the Assembly's Task Force on New Americans and has built a legislative record focused on immigration, tenant protections, food security, healthcare costs, and workers' rights 6,10. She helped pass the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act, the Green Light Bill (providing driver's licenses to undocumented New Yorkers), the Child Victims Act, and rent-law reforms, and she has passed more than 20 laws and co-sponsored over 400 bills 10,7. Her record is detailed in the legislative section of this series.
Place in New York politics
Catalina Cruz's biography is that of a child who came to the United States undocumented, grew up watching her mother work multiple jobs to survive, earned a law degree, built a career in immigrant and tenant advocacy, and became the first former DREAMer elected to office in her state.
Catalina Cruz's biography is that of a child who came to the United States undocumented, grew up watching her mother work multiple jobs to survive, earned a law degree, built a career in immigrant and tenant advocacy, and became the first former DREAMer elected to office in her state. Her personal story and her legislative work on immigration and workers' rights make her one of the most distinctive members of the New York State Assembly, as explored across the other sections of this series.