AGENCY TESTIMONY
Introduction and personal background of MOIA Commissioner Manuel Castro
0:25:37
ยท
125 sec
Manuel Castro, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), introduces himself and shares his personal immigration story. He expresses his deep personal connection to the work and his commitment to advocating for immigrant communities.
- Castro came to the US as a child, crossing the border with his mother
- He grew up as a dreamer in New York City
- His experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to immigrant advocacy
Manuel Castro
0:25:37
Thank you, chair Aviles and members of the Committee on Immigration for the opportunity to testify today.
0:25:43
Thank you, public advocate, Jmani Williams, for joining us, today.
0:25:47
My name is Manuel Castro.
0:25:49
I am the commissioner of the mayor's office of immigrant affairs or MOIA.
0:25:55
I am here today with Molly Schaffer, executive director of the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations or OASO, Kelly Isique Sea, director of immigration policy at OASO, and my colleagues at Moa Enrique Chavira Cantu, senior policy adviser for federal immigration, Lorena Lucero, chief policy adviser, and Rebecca Engel, director of policy, legislative affairs, and research.
0:26:23
As you may know, the work that I do at Moya is incredibly personal and important to me.
0:26:31
I came to this country as a child, crossed the border with my mother, and grew up as a dreamer in New York City.
0:26:40
I know firsthand the anxieties and the fears and the challenges that many of our fellow immigrant New Yorkers may be experiencing in this moment.
0:26:52
I clearly remember the uncertainty that my family and I lived every day, not knowing if one day I would be separated from my family and never see them again.
0:27:05
These experiences shaped me, forming my lifelong commitment to advocating for immigrant communities.
0:27:14
And while in my role as commissioner, it is different from the days as a community organizer, My dedication to advocating for and empower immigrants have never been stronger, and it remains the core of who I am.
0:27:33
So the 2 of the community organizers and to the directly impacted individuals who are here today, I want to say thank you.