Delia Ramirez

Delia Ramirez
Born	Delia Catalina Ramirez 2 6, 1983
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	Member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois's 3rd congressional district
Known for	First Guatemalan American elected to the Illinois General Assembly; U.S. Representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district
Education	Northeastern Illinois University (BA)
Spouse(s)	Boris Hernandez
Website	[ramirez.house.gov Official site]

Delia Catalina Ramirez (born June 2, 1983) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who has served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district since January 3, 2023. Born and raised in Chicago, Ramirez built her political career on issues of housing affordability, immigrant rights, and economic justice, first gaining public office in the Illinois House of Representatives, where she represented the 4th district from 2018 to 2022. She holds the distinction of being the first Guatemalan American elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Before entering elected office, Ramirez worked in community organizing and nonprofit leadership in Chicago's predominantly Latino neighborhoods. In the U.S. Congress, she has emerged as a vocal progressive voice, introducing legislation on immigration enforcement, housing policy, and government accountability. Her district encompasses parts of Chicago and its western suburbs in Cook County and DuPage County.

Early Life

Delia Catalina Ramirez was born on June 2, 1983, in Chicago, Illinois. She is of Guatemalan descent, and her family's immigrant background shaped much of her later political focus on immigration policy and community empowerment. Ramirez grew up in Chicago's West Town and surrounding neighborhoods on the city's near northwest side, areas with large Latino populations that would later form the core of her state legislative district.

Ramirez's upbringing in a working-class immigrant family in Chicago exposed her to many of the housing and economic challenges that would become central to her political platform. The neighborhoods where she was raised — including Humboldt Park, Hermosa, and Logan Square — experienced significant gentrification pressures during her formative years, contributing to displacement of longtime Latino residents.

Prior to entering electoral politics, Ramirez was involved in community organizing and nonprofit work in Chicago. She served in leadership roles with faith-based and community development organizations, focusing on issues including affordable housing, immigrant services, and economic development in underserved neighborhoods. This community-based work provided Ramirez with direct experience in the policy areas she would later champion as a state legislator and member of Congress.

Education

Ramirez attended Northeastern Illinois University, a public university located on Chicago's North Side, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Northeastern Illinois University is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, and at the time of Ramirez's attendance served a large proportion of first-generation college students and students from immigrant families.

Career

Illinois House of Representatives (2018–2022)

Ramirez entered electoral politics in 2018 when she ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in the 4th district, which encompassed several Chicago neighborhoods including East Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Bucktown, West Town, Ukrainian Village, East Village, and Logan Square. The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Ramirez as the Democratic nominee for the seat in October 2018. She won the election, succeeding Cynthia Soto as the representative for the 4th district. Ramirez took office on December 21, 2018, and was sworn in during the 100th Illinois General Assembly.

Upon taking office, Ramirez became the first Guatemalan American elected to the Illinois General Assembly, a milestone noted in local media coverage. She was reelected in 2020, serving a second term in the state House.

Illinois House Progressive Caucus

In February 2019, Ramirez was part of the Illinois House Progressive Caucus, which unveiled an ambitious legislative agenda early in the 101st General Assembly session. The caucus outlined priorities including progressive taxation, criminal justice reform, and expanded social services. Ramirez's involvement with the caucus established her as a member of the progressive wing of the Illinois Democratic legislative delegation.

Housing Policy

Housing policy became Ramirez's signature legislative area during her tenure in the Illinois House. She authored and championed multiple bills addressing housing affordability, tenant protections, and foreclosure prevention, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February 2020, Ramirez was among the Illinois lawmakers who introduced a new real estate transfer tax proposal aimed at generating revenue for affordable housing initiatives.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, Ramirez became a leading voice in the Illinois legislature on emergency housing relief. In May 2020, she was involved in legislative efforts to maintain eviction bans and provide relief to renters and homeowners facing financial hardship due to the pandemic. A bill to waive rent and mortgage payments during the crisis ultimately failed to pass, but the eviction ban remained in place.

Ramirez continued her housing advocacy into 2021, proposing emergency housing relief legislation in Illinois designed to prevent mass evictions and foreclosures as pandemic-era protections began to expire. In March 2021, she introduced a housing bill that aimed to provide additional support to renters and homeowners still struggling with the economic fallout of the pandemic. That same month, her emergency housing assistance legislation passed in the Illinois House, marking a significant legislative achievement. The legislation, formally known as the Illinois COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act, created protections for renters and homeowners, and was noted by housing advocacy organizations as a significant measure.

Healthcare Access

In addition to housing, Ramirez worked on healthcare access issues during her time in the state legislature. She was involved in legislative efforts to expand Medicaid coverage in Illinois to include noncitizens, a policy that reflected her broader advocacy for immigrant communities.

Criminal Justice

Ramirez also engaged with criminal justice reform during her state legislative tenure. She participated in discussions about what Illinois jails and prisons could do to improve the lives of children of incarcerated individuals, an issue that intersected with her broader concerns about family stability and community well-being.

2022 Congressional Campaign

In December 2021, Ramirez announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in the newly drawn Illinois's 3rd congressional district, which had been reconfigured following the 2020 census and redistricting process to include a large Hispanic population. The new 3rd district encompassed portions of Chicago and its western suburbs. The previous representative for the district, Marie Newman, had been redistricted into a different seat.

Ramirez's congressional campaign built on the political infrastructure and issue portfolio she had developed during her time in the Illinois House. Her campaign focused on affordable housing, immigration reform, and economic opportunity for working families. The race drew attention in part because of the district's demographics and the broader significance of Latino political representation in Illinois.

Ramirez won the 2022 general election and was elected to represent Illinois's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was succeeded in the Illinois House by Lilian Jiménez.

U.S. House of Representatives (2023–present)

Ramirez took office in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2023, as part of the 118th United States Congress. In Congress, she has continued to focus on housing policy, immigration, and government oversight, while also expanding her portfolio to include foreign affairs and federal spending issues.

Immigration Policy

Immigration has been a central issue for Ramirez in Congress, consistent with her background and the demographics of her district. In January 2025, Ramirez, joined by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York, introduced the Melt ICE Act, legislation that would defund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The bill represented one of the most direct legislative challenges to the federal immigration enforcement apparatus and drew attention from both supporters and critics of immigration enforcement policy.

In February 2025, Ramirez appeared on MSNBC to criticize the Department of Homeland Security's reported plans to purchase a luxury jet for deportation flights and official travel, calling it a misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Foreign Affairs

Ramirez has engaged with foreign policy issues during her time in Congress. In early 2025, she released a statement criticizing U.S. policy toward Venezuela, demanding that Congress take action in response to what she described as concerning developments in the region. Her office has also posted a job listing for a Foreign Affairs Policy Advisor, indicating the congresswoman's continued engagement with international policy matters.

Government Oversight and Accountability

In early 2025, Ramirez led a letter signed by 71 members of Congress demanding that the House Committee on the Judiciary hold hearings regarding what she characterized as impeachable offenses by Kristi Noem, who was serving as Secretary of Homeland Security. The action demonstrated Ramirez's willingness to use congressional procedural mechanisms to challenge executive branch officials.

State of the Union Boycott (2025)

In March 2025, Ramirez was among at least three Illinois Democratic members of Congress — alongside Sean Casten and Jan Schakowsky — who announced they would boycott President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Instead of attending the address, Ramirez participated in what was described as a "People's State of the Union" event, an alternative gathering organized by progressive members of Congress. As reported by The New York Times, more than 12 members of Congress were expected to participate in the alternative event.

Local Political Engagement

Ramirez has remained active in Chicago-area politics while serving in Congress. In March 2025, she joined outgoing U.S. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García in rallying for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi in his reelection bid.

Personal Life

Ramirez is married to Boris Hernandez. She resides in the Chicago area and continues to maintain ties to the communities she has represented at both the state and federal levels.

Ramirez is of Guatemalan descent, and her identity as a Guatemalan American has been a significant part of her public profile, particularly given her status as the first person of Guatemalan heritage elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Her family's immigrant background has informed her policy positions on immigration, housing, and economic opportunity.

In addition to her affiliation with the Democratic Party, Ramirez has been associated with the Working Families Party, a progressive political organization that has endorsed her campaigns.

Recognition

Ramirez's election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2018 was noted for its historic significance, as she became the first Guatemalan American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed her candidacy that year, citing her background in community organizing and her policy priorities.

During her tenure in the Illinois House, Ramirez held a leadership position within the Illinois House Democratic caucus, as reflected in her title of "Leader" used in official communications from the caucus regarding her emergency housing legislation.

Her successful passage of the Illinois COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act was recognized by Housing Action Illinois and other advocacy organizations as a significant legislative accomplishment that created meaningful protections for renters and homeowners during the pandemic.

In Congress, Ramirez's ability to gather 71 co-signers for her letter demanding hearings on Secretary Noem indicated her capacity to organize within the Democratic caucus on oversight issues.

Legacy

Ramirez's career in public office represents a notable chapter in the growing political influence of Latino communities in Illinois and the broader Midwest. As the first Guatemalan American elected to the Illinois General Assembly, she expanded the demographic diversity of the state's legislative body at a time when Central American Americans were an increasingly significant segment of the U.S. Latino population but remained underrepresented in elected office.

Her legislative focus on housing affordability and tenant protections, particularly the Illinois COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act, established a policy framework that other states examined during the pandemic era. Her transition from community organizing to state legislator to member of Congress followed a trajectory that reflected the increasing political mobilization of Chicago's Latino neighborhoods during the 2010s and 2020s.

In Congress, Ramirez has positioned herself within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, engaging with issues including immigration enforcement reform, government accountability, and foreign affairs. Her introduction of the Melt ICE Act and her leadership on the letter regarding Secretary Noem demonstrated a willingness to advance confrontational policy positions within the legislative process.

Ramirez's political career has been closely linked to the broader network of progressive Latino politicians in Chicago, including her association with U.S. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García, with whom she has collaborated on political endorsements and community engagement.