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Making New York City a better place for all immigrants

Winner

Manuel Castro

Making New York City a better place for all immigrants

Website

nyc.gov

Year

2020

Organization

MOIA

Sector

Jobs & Economic Growth

Borough

Queens

Manny is a key player in the movement to support immigrant New Yorkers.

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…
Read winner story
Image of Manny Castro speaking with press
As commissioner, Castro has taken a hands-on approach. On his first day, he rushed to the scene of a deadly fire in the Bronx where many of the victims were from Gambian immigrant families. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP/Getty Images)

Update from winner

Manny Castro Twitter
@MCastroMOIAMay 2, 2023
Returning to the #PortAuthority bus terminal to #welcome asylum seekers sent to NYC by Texas.

Publication

The Washington Post

In New York, a city official welcoming migrants used to be one

By Joanna Slater
March 24, 2024
On a chilly Saturday in late February, dozens of recent arrivals to New York filed into a small auditorium in Queens to learn more about applying for asylum. Bundled in jackets and clutching cellphones, they were just a few…
“A Dreamer is now the commissioner. It feels like there's progress.⁠”
The Washington Post

News Segment

Spectrum News NY1

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs commissioner talks about expediting work permits for migrants

By SPECTRUM NEWS STAFF
August 31, 2023
Mayor Eric Adams led a rally Thursday morning in Foley Square with other city officials to call on the federal government to fast-track work authorization permits for asylum seekers. This comes as city and state officials…
“You will not make a better investment in the future of NYC than Manny Castro⁠”
Robert Courtney Smith
Professor, CUNY

Publication

Harlem World

City Launches $18 Million RFP For Immigrant Legal Support Centers Funding Initiative

By Harlem World Staff
August 8, 2024
The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro and the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Molly Park have released two Requests. The requests are for Proposals (RFx) to establish…
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