Bio: Daniela Cruz

Daniela Cruz has lived  in Phoenix for 10 years, although she was born in Mexico city. She traveled to the United States with her mother two days before her 11th birthday. Although it took her some time, she eventually began feeling that Arizona was her home. She grew up noticing fear of immigration and police by her family. One year, when her mother heard that Sheriff Joe Arpaio was going to be around her school, she stopped driving Daniela there, did not let her go outside, and almost made her change schools. Four years ago her brother’s partner was arrested for a minor traffic violation. He had a 3 week-old daughter. In September 2010 she began to get involved in the passage of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. Although she stepped away from organizing for a few months, she came back by participating in the first civil disobedience by undocumented students to take place in Phoenix, Arizona. She participated because she was tired of seeing her community scared and hiding, and believes organizing is the best way to fight against that fear. She is on the bus for the same reason, she explains, “if you organize your community, people don’t have to get deported, families don’t have to be separated.”

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