Catalina Cruz: Policy Positions
Catalina Cruz is a progressive Democrat whose policy profile is shaped by her personal experience as a former undocumented immigrant, centering on immigration rights, tenant protections, workers' rights, and food security. The list below walks through her major policy positions, with citations to primary or strong secondary sources for each one.
A note up front: Cruz's positions are inseparable from her lived experience as a DREAMer, giving her advocacy an authenticity that distinguishes her from many colleagues.
Immigration rights and the DREAM Act
Immigration is the core of Cruz's identity and agenda. She helped pass the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act, providing tuition assistance to undocumented students, and the Green Light Bill, providing driver's licenses to undocumented New Yorkers 1,2. As chair of the Assembly's Task Force on New Americans, she advocates statewide for immigrant integration 3. Her immigration work is the centerpiece of her career.
Tenant protections
Cruz's legal career began representing low-income, rent-stabilized tenants in housing court, and she has carried that focus into the Assembly, supporting rent-law reforms and tenant-protection legislation 4,5. Housing stability is a consistent theme.
Workers' rights
Cruz has advocated for workers' rights throughout her career, from her government roles combating labor trafficking and exploitation to her legislative work on wage theft and worker protections 5,6. Her workers'-rights focus complements her immigration advocacy.
Food security
Cruz has passed legislation to combat food insecurity, including the Nourish NY program, which connects New York farms with food banks 1. Food security is a priority reflecting her district's working-class demographics.
Healthcare affordability
Cruz has worked to curtail the high cost of healthcare, passing laws to reduce healthcare expenses for working families 7. Her healthcare work reflects the affordability concerns of her diverse, working-class district.
How her positions fit together
The throughline across Cruz's positions is advocacy for the immigrant, working-class, and tenant communities she grew up in and now represents: Immigration rights, tenant protections, food security, healthcare affordability, and workers' rights, all informed by her personal journey from undocumented child to elected official. Supporters see a uniquely authentic advocate; her positions reflect the priorities of one of the most diverse and immigrant-heavy districts in the nation.