News About Catalina’s Campaign and Community

  • AM Cruz Pushes for Right to Counsel and Legal Services for Immigrants

    “Everyone comes here looking for freedom,” said Cruz, a Queens Democrat, former immigration lawyer and the first Dreamer to be elected to the state Legislature. “Whether you came five minutes ago, five years ago or 15 years ago, you are a New Yorker, and we are going to fight for you.”
    In 2019, Cruz first introduced the Access to Representation Act, legislation intended to guarantee state funding covering legal services for every migrant statewide.

    Read Article

  • Op-Ed: Queens tenants need good cause protections By Catalina Cruz and Theo Oshiro - QNS

    March 17, 2023

    “Every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live. No tenant should be worried about whether their landlord will evict them next month or if their rent will increase to an unconscionable amount without notice. But that’s precisely the reality facing too many Queens tenants and New Yorkers across the state.”

    Read Article

  • The Solution to Our Labor Shortage is Clear: Remove Barriers to Immigrant Employment - Gotham Gazette

    December 20, 2022 | by Brad Hoylman & Catalina Cruz

    “The economy hinges on the strength of our labor market, and the United States is facing a disastrous labor shortage...One simple solution to ease the burden is to support migrant workers with easier pathways into the labor market.”

    Read Article

  • Higher wage theft penalties measure heads to Hochul's desk - Spectrum Local News

    June 22, 2023

    “While wage theft is rampant in my district, impacting the most vulnerable in our community, it is a statewide pandemic that robs the state as much as it robs the workers," said Assemblymember Catalina Cruz. "By criminalizing wage theft as a felony, we are creating substantial penalties that send a clear message that stealing from workers will not be tolerated in the state of New York."

    Read Article

  • Advocates Praise Trans Equity Funding in State Budget - Gay City News April 21, 2022

    “The latest New York State budget includes millions of dollars in funding for queer initiatives, including $12.5 million for LGBTQ health and human services as well as a hard-fought $1 million fund for organizations serving transgender individuals in the state.”

    Read Article

  • Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz Joins Queens Center for Gay Seniors Hybrid Exercise Class - QCH News

    April 2022

    After exercising alongside the older adults and observing that in-person participants didn’t have any weights to use for the class, Assemblywoman Cruz announced that she will be purchasing weights for them to have at the center. All of the older adults at the center applauded and thanked her for her continued support of the community.

    Read Article