25 young people making noise for social progress

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: Sophie Cruz (C) speaks onstage at the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Sophie Cruz

Sophie Cruz first made headlines at just five years old back in 2015 when she stopped Pope Francis to pass him a letter  talking about how both her parents were undocumented and she was scared they’d be deported. She’s been fighting for immigration rights ever since.

The Pope had been going from the White House to St. Matthews Cathedral during a trip when a little girl somehow evaded security and made it to the Pope. Pope Francis stopped the parade to talk to her, and Cruz gave him a hug, a T-shirt and an incredibly emotional letter.

Cruz is an American-born citizen whose parents immigrated illegally from Mexico. She went to see the Pope with an immigration activist group called the Catholic Delegation for Reform.

In the letter, Cruz told the Pope that “my heart is very sad, because I’m scared that one day ICE is going to deport my parents. I have a right to live with my parents. I have a right to be happy.” She went on to talk about how immigrants work hard in America and deserve to be here. The Pope later talked about immigration and refugees before Congress.

Cruz won people’s hearts after delivering her heartfelt letter to Pope Francis. Come on, it was incredibly heart wrenching — and Cruz was also pretty adorable. And she hasn’t given up the fight for immigration reform and DAPA, which protects parents of Americans.

In 2016, Cruz got to meet President Barack Obama and spoke at the Supreme Court. She and her family have even appeared in a few videos about immigration. Cruz also won the Define American Activist of the Year award.

More recently, Cruz gave an inspiring speech at the Women’s March on Washington. “We are here together making a chain of love, to protect our families,” she said. “Let us fight with love, faith and courage so that our families will not be destroyed.”