1. Catalina Cruz was elected as the Democratic candidate in the Fall 2018 election for the 39th district of the New York State Assembly, representing Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights, Queens.
21 Facts About Catalina Cruz
1. 2.
Catalina Cruz is still a member of the Assembly as of February 2025.
3.
Catalina Cruz has five siblings, three of whom are US citizens.
4.
Catalina Cruz became the first former undocumented immigrant who identifies as a DREAMer to be elected in New York state.
5.
In 2001, Catalina Cruz graduated from John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens.
6.
In 2005, Catalina Cruz received a bachelor's degree with honors in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
7.
In 2009, Catalina Cruz received a JD from the City University of New York School of Law.
8.
From 2009 to 2012, Catalina Cruz was counsel at the Goddard Riverside SRO Law Project at the Goddard Riverside Community Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
9.
From 2012 to 2014, Catalina Cruz was counsel to the Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs at the New York State Department of Labor.
10.
In 2014, Catalina Cruz was counsel to the Immigration Committee for the New York City Council, where she worked to improve coverage of issue related to domestic worker trafficking.
11.
Catalina Cruz worked on the Unaccompanied Minors Initiative and the IDNYC program.
12.
From 2015 to 2017, Catalina Cruz was the Director of the Office of the New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo.
13.
Catalina Cruz was the Director of the Joint Task Force on Worker Exploitation and Employee Misclassification, known as the Exploited Workers Task Force, a working as assistant counsel in Cuomo's taskforce.
14.
In 2017, Catalina Cruz became Chief of Staff for New York City Council Member, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland until Ferreras-Copeland made the decision not to seek re-election.
15.
In February 2018, Catalina Cruz announced her candidacy for Francisco Moya's vacated position on the New York State Assembly's Assembly District 39.
16.
Catalina Cruz then won the Democratic primary for District 39 on September 13,2018, over Espinal, and won the seat on November 6,2018.
17.
Catalina Cruz had received campaign training from New American Leaders that she believes helped her ultimately fundraise nearly $200,000 to win the primary race.
18.
Catalina Cruz identifies as a DREAMer under the unadopted DREAM Act that was introduced in 2001, which addresses citizenship of children brought to the United States by their parents and living as undocumented citizens.
19.
Catalina Cruz married her high school boyfriend in 2003, which allowed Catalina Cruz to get her green card in 2005 and become a US citizen in 2009.
20.
Catalina Cruz's former husband was a New York Police Department police officer.
21.
Catalina Cruz has said that the attorney who did her immigration papers inspired her to go to law school and become a lawyer.