Ruiz Foods is a prominent American food production and service company established in 1964 by Louis Ruiz and his son, Fred, with its headquarters in Dinuba, California. The company has gained significant recognition, becoming the leading provider of frozen Mexican dishes in the US and Canada by April 2010. Operating under the renowned brand names of El Monterey and Tornados, Ruiz Foods offers an extensive range of approximately 200 frozen Mexican food products, including burritos, taquitos, enchiladas, and tamales, available in numerous grocery stores across the US and Canada. The company's primary 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m2) manufacturing facility effectively caters to the needs of the Eastern and Midwestern US, supplemented by additional facilities in Texas. For further information, the official website offers comprehensive insights into the company and its offerings.

David Resendez Ruiz, a Mexican-American from East Austin, Texas, was a pivotal figure in the landmark lawsuit Ruiz v. Estelle, which reshaped the conditions of prison incarceration in the United States. Born into a migrant farmworker family, Ruiz had a troubled youth and encountered the criminal justice system from a young age. His experiences within the Texas penal system drove him to become a prison activist, leading to his involvement in the class action suit against the Texas Department of Corrections. The lawsuit, initially filed in 1972, challenged the prison's overcrowding, lack of healthcare, and abusive security practices, asserting violations of constitutional rights. After years of legal battles, the 1979 ruling declared the conditions within the TDC system as cruel and unusual punishment, sparking significant reforms and federal oversight. Despite facing numerous challenges and disciplinary infractions during his time in prison, Ruiz's activism left a lasting impact on the criminal justice system. He passed away in 2005 while serving his sentence. The lawsuit continued to shape prison reform through subsequent litigation and the enactment of the Prison Litigation Reform Act in 1996.