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September 28, 2010

Rising Stars 40 Under 40

By  New York City Official Website Staff / City Hall


Ana Maria Archila

Co-executive Director, Make the Road New York

Age: 31

Like many New Yorkers, Ana Maria Archila’s life changed after the Sept. 11 attacks. She had always worked in immigrant rights, striving to give voice to the voiceless, but working to identify those victims of the attacks that were undocumented helped galvanize her mission in life.

“Even in death they were invisible workers, they were invisible New Yorkers,” she said. “That was an experience that helped me decide that, even though I was an immigrant myself, I had an easier life that I should put to good use, for people who could be my brothers and sisters.”

Archilla, who came to New York from Columbia at age 17, started out her professional career with a Latino immigrant-rights group, based in Staten Island and Queens. She saw the potential for more. Merging her group with Make the Road By Walking, another grassroots immigrant organization, they formed Make the Road New York in 2007. Since then, Archila and her allies have been steeped in the fights for paid sick leave and to end wage theft, among many other battles.

Along the way, she has remained amazed at the level of passion and commitment that exists among the city’s immigrants.

“I understood that there was tremendous levels of political energy,” she said.

How did past jobs get you to where you are now?

The experience of working directly with the people who are most affected by the policies we have in our city helped me clarify my values—the fact that I really believe these people need to have a voice at the table.

What will your business card say in five years?

I want it to say “Co-executive Director of Make the Road New York.” I still have a lot of work to do.

If you weren’t in politics, what would you be doing?

I would love to be a jazz singer. Or maybe Bossa Nova.

What is your spirit animal?

A worker bee. They’re very communal and they work together.


More on: Profiles of MTR 

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Victory for Immigrant Families: Preventing Unjust Deportations in NYC

On March 18, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg signed new legislation to stop federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using NYC’s criminal justice system to deport thousands of New Yorkers.

Building on legislation we helped to win just over a year ago, Local Laws 21 and 22 prohibit not only the Department of Correction but now also the NYPD from spending millions of city taxpayer dollars to hold individuals on behalf of ICE agents for detention and deportation. Each year, thousands of New York families will stay together who would otherwise have been torn apart by overly aggressive, indiscriminate immigration enforcement.

At a moment when the country is debating immigration reform, with these laws, New York City sends a clear message to Washington that tearing apart thousands of immigrant families is bad policy.

With your support, we look forward to winning national reform that keeps families together. We thank our partners at the Center for Popular Democracy, the Cardozo Immigration Justice Clinic and the bills’ sponsors, NYC Council Speaker Quinn and Council Member Mark-Viverito, for their courageous leadership.


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