In film, she had secondary roles in Maria Full of Grace (2004), Illegal Tender (2007) and Sex and the City 2 (2010).

In 2013, Leyva began starring as Gloria Mendoza, a Latina leader in the jail, in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black.

[9][10] Along with cast, she received three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

During her time in Orange Is the New Black, Leyva co-starred opposite Viola Davis and Catalina Sandino Moreno in the 2016 courtroom drama film Custody directed and written by James Lapine,[12] and played Monica Warren in the 2017 superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming.

In 2019, Leyva was cast in the Disney+ comedy-drama series, Diary of a Future President produced by Gina Rodriguez.