Honoring Esther Salas: New Jersey's first Latina U.S. district judge
In 2006, she made history as the first Latina to serve as a magistrate judge in the state.
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To close out Hispanic Heritage Month, we are shining a light on the inspiring journey of Judge Esther Salas whose commitment to service has never wavered, even in the face of deep personal tragedy.
Salas' journey in New Jersey started when she was just 5-year-old. Her mother migrated from Cuba and moved the family to Union City.
In 2006, she made history as the first Latina to serve as a magistrate judge in the state. Now, she is also the first male or female Latina to become a U.S district judge in New Jersey.
In 2020, her journey took a devastating turn when a gunman targeted her home and killed her only son, Daniel. Her husband was seriously injured.
The attack shattered her family but never her spirit. She turned grief into action, becoming a powerful judge for judicial security. She led the charge behind "Daniel's Law," which aims to protect personal information of judges and law enforcement officials.
In Daniel's memory scholarships have been stablished across multiple universities, carrying out a dream he once shared with her after his murder.
"I had a dream with my son right after he was murdered, Salas said. "In his dream, he said he wanted to keep helping his friends and everything. There are scholarships, I get emotional because we are living out that dream, you know, helping his friends.”
Last month, in Union City a school was named after Salas, called "The Esther Salas Academy."
"I’m just so proud to have the Esther Salas academy open up just this past September," she said. "When I think about my mom, and I think about her story, and I think about my family’s story. I could not be prouder.”
