Mayra Cedano

Nonprofit Professional

Mayra Guadalupe Cedano Robles is a passionate community organizer and leader that has spearheaded immigrant rights campaigns for over a decade. Mayra was born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico. When she was 11 years old, she immigrated to the US, establishing deep roots within Utah's immigrant community. Mayra started her activism in the immigrant rights movement when she was 15 years old. When she marched to the state Capitol for the first time to demand a halt on immigration raids. Mayra attended the University of Utah and graduated in 2010, where she received a B.A in Sociology and minors in Chicana/o/x Studies and Psychology.   A few months after college graduation, she started working Comunidades Unidas (CU) as the Volunteer Coordinator. Mayra's journey at CU began fourteen years ago, and she feels that those years have been the most transformational and empowering years of her life. 

Mayra has extensive experience and knowledge of immigration issues, immigration law, and social and economic justice.  Currently, she is recognized as one of Utah's immigration and immigrant rights experts. Mayra is a trusted grassroots leader who has organized with immigrant families, led numerous immigrant justice actions, from rallies to marches, and successfully mobilized thousands of Utahns to demand a halt on deportations and a permanent solution for undocumented immigrants. She is the co-founder of CU's Immigration Legal Clinic. In 2014, in collaboration with immigrant workers, students co-founded CU's Despierta!/Awaken Workers Rights Campaign. In the same year, she received accreditation from the Department Of Justice to practice immigration law.  Mayra served as Executive Director of CU from December 2019 through December of 2024. . In October of 2023, Mayra received the UNA Outstanding  Nonprofit Leader Award. 
  
Mayra enjoys dancing, stargazing, ice cream, chocolate, popcorn, and tacos!