Manuel crossed the Mexican-US border when he was five years old. Although he never knew any other home than New York City, he grew up in fear of deportation because his family was undocumented. This formative experience inspired Manuel to advocate for immigrants like himself, now known as DREAMers, who entered the country as minors.

Over time, Manny has become a key player in the movement to support immigrant New Yorkers. He served as the Executive Director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), a storefront in Jackson Heights that provides critical services and resources to day laborers. Manuel was responsible for dispersing nearly $4 million dollars in direct cash assistance, distributed tens of thousands of pounds of food to immigrant families in need, and helped thousands of immigrant workers apply for the state’s Excluded Worker Fund (EWF). He submitted a bold idea to The David Prize focused on building on NICE’s model and expanding into a cooperative job center with and for day laborers. 

In 2022, Manny’s career shifted when he was appointed as Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) under Mayor Eric Adams.

In this role, he is responsible for running a City agency dedicated to ensuring the well-being of the country’s largest immigrant population, supporting over 3.2M immigrant New Yorkers with essentials, food, housing, and resources for affected families.