By Kevin Hendricks
Cindy Nava made history in November when she was elected to the New Mexico state legislature, becoming the first former undocumented person and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient to be elected to a public office in America.
Since then, Nava has racked up a few more accolades.
Nava, a Bernalillo resident born in Chihuahua, Mexico, came to America at age 7 and eventually became the first person in her family to graduate from high school and college. Nava was the first Dreamer (DACA recipient) in the country to be appointed by the White House, where she served as Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Biden Administration.
After her historic November election win, Nava now represents District 9, which includes Corrales, Placitas, Bernalillo and parts of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque, in the state Senate.
Nava was recently named one of six finalists for the Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award by EMILY’s List.
“It’s a national award sponsored by Emily’s List that honors a woman who demonstrates commitment to community, dedication to women and families, and determination and civility – all traits that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ embodied, in and out of office,” Nava posted on social media. “I cannot tell you how honored I am to have been nominated.”
The award honors Giffords, a retired politician and gun control activist from Arizona who resigned because of a severe brain injury suffered during an assassination attempt in 2011.
EMILYs List writes that Nava “paved the way for ‘Dreamers’ everywhere when, as an immigrant from Mexico, she became the first DACA recipient to be appointed by the White House and to be elected to the New Mexico state Senate. Throughout her career of service, she has championed public education, affordable housing, public safety and reproductive freedom.”
Former U.S. Interior Secretary and current New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland sent an email this week supporting Nava’s nomination.
“I’ve known Cindy for a long time. Her story is one of resilience, compassion, and unshakable dedication,” Haaland wrote in the email. “She is the daughter of immigrant parents who came to this country seeking a better life, and she’s never forgotten the challenges that families like hers face and sacrifices they make for a better future. She has used her voice to fight tirelessly for working families, for accessible healthcare, for education that lifts up every child and for policies that promote equity and justice.”
With the 2025 legislative session wrapping up on March 22, Nava said she has been working in Santa Fe “on delivering fair, balanced solutions to keep our communities safe, lowering the everyday costs of living by addressing price gouging and the rising cost of prescription drugs and providing the best public education possible for our children.”
During her first legislative session, Nava sponsored 17 bills and co-sponsored another eight pieces of legislation, including Senate Bill 364. SB 364 is bipartisan legislation designed to increase public safety by putting more trained police officers on the streets.
Nava and Sen. Craig Brandt, two of the bill’s co-sponsors, wrote an op-ed about the bill this week.
“At the heart of SB 364 is a simple idea: expanding the pool of qualified candidates who can serve as police officers by opening up the profession to legal permanent residents and DACA recipients. For too long, individuals who hold valid work permits issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have been excluded from pursuing careers in law enforcement, even though they have every right to contribute to the safety and security of our communities. SB 364 removes this barrier, allowing these individuals to become eligible to join the police force, provided they pass the same stringent background checks and security prerequisites required of all law enforcement officers.”
On Wednesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed one of Nava’s first bills into law. Senate Bill 163 was created in response to a controversy last year in which school officials removed a Farmington High School student’s graduation cap because it contained tribal regalia, which was against school policy. The bill prevents public and charter school governing boards from banning Native Americans from wearing tribal regalia during graduation ceremonies and other school-sponsored events.
Nava serves this session on the Health and Public Affairs Committee and the Senate Education Committee. She also co-sponsored Senate Bill 250, which prohibits state resources from being used to enforce federal immigration laws.
“Many people have contacted me about concerns for our immigrant community,” Nava said. “Our families in New Mexico should not live in fear of going to work or sending their children to school.”
Haaland said she “can’t think of anyone more deserving of this national recognition.”
“When I met Cindy, she had the spark to be the kind of leader New Mexico and the country should celebrate,” Haaland said. “She’s courageous, unrelenting, passionate and deeply committed to serving all communities, especially those that have been historically underrepresented.”
Online voting for the award ends March 21. The winner will be announced in April.