Cesar Vargas ’11, Distinguished Public Interest Leader Award
Cesar Vargas is a nationally recognized leader at the forefront of the fight for immigration reform and the DREAM Act. Cesar was brought to New York from Mexico at age five, after his father passed away.
As an undocumented law graduate from CUNY Law, he led the fight for equal opportunity and access to the practice of law.
Cesar applied to join the New York bar in 2012, but the Second Department’s Committee on Character and Fitness recommended against his application because of his immigration status. In June 2015, after a nearly three-year legal battle, a five-judge panel in New York ruled that Cesar could be admitted to practice law in the State he has called home for most of his life. In February of 2016, he was finally sworn in as a licensed attorney, making history as the first undocumented lawyer in the State of New York.
Cesar was the National Latino Outreach Strategist for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. Nationwide and on Capitol Hill, Cesar has been a key player in the policy battle for a better immigration policy. His advocacy and story helped to convince President Obama to take executive action to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was much-needed, in light of congressional inaction on immigration reform. Cesar has also educated immigrants across the country on their rights, spoken on behalf of his community at congressional hearings, and volunteered at clinics to help immigrants know their rights. Cesar counsels military families dealing with immigration issues and provides pro bono representation to children facing deportation in immigration court.
Cesar is a frequent guest as a political and legal commentator on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, Univision, Telemundo, and NY1. He is also a columnist for The Hill, Washington Post, NY Times, Politico, and other top publications around the country writing on today’s most important immigration issues. He has been recognized as one of Huffington Post’s “Prominent Latinos in American Politics.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cesar partnered with La Colmena to organize food pantries to support immigrant families, donated face masks to help protect immigrant workers, nurses, bus drivers, and police officers, and raised money to support struggling local businesses and essential workers who work in supermarkets and pharmacies.
He is a soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve and currently works as an attorney with the Chair of the Committee on Immigration at the New York City Council, overseeing immigration policy issues affecting the City of New York.
Remarks
Felicidades class of 2021! You did it!
My name is Cesar Vargas. And I am a proud CUNY Law Alumni of the class of 2011. It is an honor to receive the Public Interest award and to be here with all of you today.
My family and I immigrated to the United States when I was just five years old. We crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with the hopes of a better life. I remember one moment distinctly from the crossing- we were running in pitch darkness and suddenly my mom fell down, and there was a cloud of dust and I couldn’t see. I remember her holding my hand tightly reminding me she was there to protect me. It is that love, along with support from my community- including the CUNY Law family- that despite not being a citizen, I was able to graduate high school, college, and law school. And in 2016, after a four-year legal battle, I became New York’s first openly undocumented attorney. This legal decision set a precedent and opened not just the legal profession but 57 other professions including nursing and architecture for non-citizens, permanently opening the door for those who came after me.
This pandemic has been devastating for our communities, however, and even though we can’t celebrate your graduation in person, I’m certain that neither COVID nor anyone else can take away the joy and pride that your loved ones are feeling on this very special day as they see you all graduate and take the next step on your journey as an attorney.
I know it wasn’t easy- trust me, I know. I know your professors were not easy- trust me, I know. But your loved ones never gave up on you. They kissed you. They hugged you. And they reminded you of why you were doing this in the first place, for many reasons I am sure, but they all had one foundational premise: you were going to make the world a better place, and your law degree was going to help you get there.
Equally important, you all displayed immense courage. By courage, I mean that despite the fear of failure or fear that you couldn’t do this anymore, you all kept moving forward.
Despite the sleepless nights or the never-ending work, you all kept moving forward and are now here today graduating from CUNY School of Law with your Juris Doctorate- what an accomplishment!
I have to tell you though, that fear doesn’t go away. I am now running for Staten Island Borough President, the deep south of New York State, both geographically and politically. I am running for a very simple reason: it’s time to create a more just, safe, and prosperous borough for all our communities. I fear that I won’t win, and I fear that I won’t make the change that is needed.
I also remember that I am not alone. My family is behind me, my community is behind me, and I have an incredible team, all of whom are committed to making the world a better place and I know that together we will win.
So remember that you will never be alone. You will always have a CUNY Law family that will have your back. There’s so much work to do on behalf of humanity, and justice is proud to have you on its side.
Keep being courageous- the world needs more advocates like you.
La lucha sigue!
I’ll now turn it over to the class speaker for the Evening Program, she is someone I’m proud to know and work with- an incredible advocate, dreamer, nurse, and my campaign manager, Hina Naveed.