Alma Garza-Cruz was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. She is married to Antonio Cruz and has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Alma is a 3rd generation American of Mexican decent.
She is a self-motivated bilingual (English/Spanish) individual with extensive experience in Hispanic outreach and educating the immigrant community. She began her volunteerism almost 30 years ago serving as youth minister, Sunday school teacher and director of a Mexican Folklorico dance group at her church. Currently Alma is a leader and affiliate of the Hispanic Forum, board member of St. Katherine Drexel Humanitarians, a member of Pioneering Women and SETX Regional Workforce and Diversity & Inclusion Council and serves on the ministry team of Balm in Gilead Ministries.
Alma has worked with Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas since 1991. She received accreditation from the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2001. She is currently a Fully Accredited Representative which authorizes her to practice immigration law as a non-attorney before the immigration service and immigration court. She supervises and leads a staff of 4 providing family-based immigration legal services. Her work includes family-based petitions, Naturalization, Appeals, Waivers, Motions to Appeal, Self-petitions for battered immigrants, U-visas for victims of certain crimes and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. She has conducted numerous presentations on immigration issues and strives to educate the immigrant and non-immigrant community on the realities and challenges facing immigrant newcomers in our area.