Carlos Menchaca
A longtime champion of progressive causes, Carlos Menchaca was the first Mexican-American elected official in New York City and Brooklyn’s first openly gay legislator. A strong advocate on immigration, equality and worker rights, Carlos most recently served two terms on the New York City Council, representing diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood Heights, and portions of Borough Park, Dyker Heights and Windsor Terrace.
During his tenure in the Council, he successfully advocated for measures: granting non-citizens the right to vote in local municipal elections in New York City, strengthening worker protections for delivery-app workers, expanding permits to street vendors, advancing workplace safety with apprenticeship training, punishing predatory landlords, and improving street safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Carlos co-authored the legislation for New York’s first municipal identification card, IDNYC, which serves more than one million registrants.
As Chair of the Committee on Immigration, Carlos led negotiations that funded the nation’s largest public defender program for undocumented immigrants. He supported innovative programs for immigrant day laborers, street vendors, delivery workers and worker cooperatives.
Throughout his life, Carlos has fought against gentrification and displacement, stood with tenants to preserve and strengthen their rights, and worked with community-based organizations to address hunger and housing insecurity and ensure all New Yorkers are treated with respect and dignity.
Currently, Carlos Menchaca is a recipient of the Leadership in Government Fellowship with the Open Society Foundation where he will gather and share stories of migrant families crossing the southern U.S. border to seek asylum, with the aim of educating the public and inspiring humane immigration policies.
Menchaca holds an undergraduate dual-degree in politics and performing arts from the Jesuit University of San Francisco and is the proud dog-dad of Lola, a rescue pup who came into his life during the COVID lockdown in New York City in 2020.
During his tenure in the Council, he successfully advocated for measures: granting non-citizens the right to vote in local municipal elections in New York City, strengthening worker protections for delivery-app workers, expanding permits to street vendors, advancing workplace safety with apprenticeship training, punishing predatory landlords, and improving street safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Carlos co-authored the legislation for New York’s first municipal identification card, IDNYC, which serves more than one million registrants.
As Chair of the Committee on Immigration, Carlos led negotiations that funded the nation’s largest public defender program for undocumented immigrants. He supported innovative programs for immigrant day laborers, street vendors, delivery workers and worker cooperatives.
Throughout his life, Carlos has fought against gentrification and displacement, stood with tenants to preserve and strengthen their rights, and worked with community-based organizations to address hunger and housing insecurity and ensure all New Yorkers are treated with respect and dignity.
Currently, Carlos Menchaca is a recipient of the Leadership in Government Fellowship with the Open Society Foundation where he will gather and share stories of migrant families crossing the southern U.S. border to seek asylum, with the aim of educating the public and inspiring humane immigration policies.
Menchaca holds an undergraduate dual-degree in politics and performing arts from the Jesuit University of San Francisco and is the proud dog-dad of Lola, a rescue pup who came into his life during the COVID lockdown in New York City in 2020.
