Mano Amiga is an activist organization that advocates for left-of-center criminal justice and immigration policies such as reducing incarceration rates and resisting jail expansion for illegal aliens and minorities in Texas. The group condemned President Joe Biden’s executive order allowing temporary border closures. ¹

Background

Mano Amiga is a community organization in Texas that engages in policy advocacy. ² The nonprofit opposes the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants. ³

Staff

Eric Martinez is the executive and policy director of Mano Amiga. ²

Sonja Villalobos is the director at Mano Amiga. ⁴

Alyssa Garza assumed the role of community outreach director at Mano Amiga in 2019. ⁵

Deana Pinales holds the position of board chairman at Mano Amiga. ⁶

Shannon Fitzpatrick sits on the board of Mano Amiga. ⁷ Fitzpatrick is a former assistant district attorney in Hays County, Texas, and an assistant general counsel for the Texas Department of Public Safety. ⁸

Advocacy Efforts

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights partnered with Mano Amiga and Faith in Texas to release people from jail in Dallas and Hays County, Texas, claiming such action would reduce the number of people affected by the virus. ⁹

Mano Amiga launched its community bond program in 2020 to help release individuals from Hays County Jail who could not otherwise post bond. ¹⁰

The nonprofit backed Texas’s first cite-and-release ordinance in 2020, mandating local law enforcement issue citations instead of arresting individuals for certain non-violent offenses. ¹¹

Mano Amiga shared a news article on its website criticizing Hays County, Texas, for spending money on transferring inmates to other counties despite its $60 million jail expansion. ¹²

In 2022, the nonprofit shared an article contending that Hays County Jail dehumanizes inmates when transferring them to other counties. Mano Amiga also likened the transfer process to human trafficking, arguing that it violates the inmate’s right to due process and fair defense. ¹²

Mano Amiga also called for dismissal of charges against Cyrus Gray and Devonte Amerson, two Black teenagers who were held in jail for several years on charges for which neither has been convicted as of August 2024. ¹³ As of late 2023, the government had dropped charges against Gray and Amerson had been granted bail. ¹⁴

On X (formerly Twitter), the nonprofit expressed support for the Biden administration’s “parole-in-place” program that would allow illegal alien spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for green cards without leaving the country. ¹⁵

Other policies and movements supported by the Mano Amiga include the decriminalization of marijuana, ¹⁶ the Black Lives Matter movement, ¹⁷ police transparency in San Marcos, ¹⁸ and the repeal of San Marco’s Youth Curfew Ordinance ¹⁹ that limits when minors can be in public. ²⁰

In October 2023, motivated by the case of Sergeant Ryan Hartman who faced minimal penalties after causing a fatal car accident while off duty, Mano Amiga started a petition to repeal Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code to enhance accountability for local law enforcement in San Marcos. ²¹

Following President Joe Biden’s issuance of an executive order allowing temporary border closures, ²² the nonprofit critiqued the policy, claiming that “seeking asylum is a human right.” ¹

Mano Amiga, Texas Tribune, and the Caldwell/Hays Examiner filed a lawsuit against the Caldwell County, Texas, for holding closed bail hearings. On February 6, 2024, a federal judge ordered Caldwell County to hold bail hearings in public. ²³

The nonprofit spread awareness in support of the #WeWillResist Campaign ²⁴ launched by the Border Network for Human Rights in February 2024. ²⁵ The campaign was launched to protest against a Texas bill that would prohibit cities from refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities (“sanctuary cities”) in the state of Texas ²⁶ and against Operation Lone Star, a program launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) to increase security along the Texas-Mexico border in March 2021. ²⁷

Mano Amiga led a protest at San Marcos Regional Airport, demanding the revocation of Berry Aviation’s license for flying migrants to California under a directive from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). The protest was prompted after activists alleged the illegal aliens were kidnapped, as migrants were reportedly deceived into boarding the flights with false promises of jobs and housing, only to be sent to Sacramento. ²⁸

Grants

Mano Amiga supports development efforts in Puerto Rico through the Plaza Las Américas Foundation and the Plaza Del Caribe Foundation. ²⁹ In July 2024, Mano Amiga awarded $236,000 to 24 Puerto Rican organizations for community development programs on the Island. ³⁰

Sponsors

In 2019, Mano Amiga received a $10,000 program grant from the United Way for a Greater Austin, ³¹ a community development nonprofit. ³² The nonprofit was also among 111 organizations benefiting from the All Together ATX pandemic grant fund by United Way for Greater Austin. ³³

The San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (SMUUF) donated $800 toward Mano Amiga’s local criminal justice advocacy efforts. ³⁴ During COVID-19, the Poetry Foundation awarded Mano Amiga a $20,000 emergency grant. ³⁵

Mano Amiga received a $25,000 innovations leadership grant from the Circle for Justice in both 2021 ³⁶ and 2022. ³⁶

Between 2021 and 2023, Mano Amiga was granted $505,000 from the Heising-Simons Foundation, a California-based private family foundation led by liberal philanthropists and major Democratic Party donors Liz Simons and her husband Mark Heising. ³⁷

According to Borealis Philanthropy’s 2022 financial report, Mano Amiga secured $5 million from Hays County for the opening of the first Public Defender’s Office in Hays County, Texas. ³⁸

Mano Amiga was also one of the 42 recipients of the $16,587,800 Neo Philanthropy Four Freedoms Fund (FFF) in 2020. ³⁹

The National Bail Project and Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights contributed $75,000 to Mano Amiga for establishing its community bond program in the spring of 2020. ⁴⁰

Mano Amiga has received grants from left-leaning organizations like the Vera Institute of Justice and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. ⁴¹ In 2022, Neo Philanthropy made a $100,000 program grant contribution to Mano Amiga. ⁴²

Financials

The financial records of Mano Amiga Trust indicate that in 2022, the nonprofit expenses totaling $564,717 exceeded its generated revenue of $518,172. ⁶

1. “Mano Amiga.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed July 29, 2024. https://x.com/ManoAmigaSM/status/1798429582682739135.
2.  “Speaker Profile.” Eric Martinez | Unified Jam 2023. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.unifiedjam.com/speakers/eric-martinez.
3. “Mano Amiga.” MANO AMIGA. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.manoamigasm.org/.
4. “2022 Form 990 for Mano Amiga SM.” Cause IQ | . Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/832030465/0de8a7475b877c4bcb7a83df359dd48a.
5. “Alyssa Garza – Director of Community Outreach – Mano …” LinkedIn. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/acgarza.
6. “2022 Form 990 for Mano Amiga SM.” 2022 Form 990 for Mano Amiga SM | Cause IQ. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/832030465/0de8a7475b877c4bcb7a83df359dd48a.
7. “2022 Form 990 for Mano Amiga SM.” Cause IQ. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/832030465/0de8a7475b877c4bcb7a83df359dd48a.
8. “Voices at the Table – Crime, Prosecution and the Obligations of Society: What Is Justice? – June 2nd at 1:00 p.m.” San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, June 6, 2024. https://smuuf.org/2024/05/29/voices-at-the-table-crime-prosecution-and-the-obligations-of-society-what-is-justice-june-2nd-at-100-p-m/.
9. “Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Partners with Mano Amiga and Faith in Texas to Free People from Jail as Coronavirus Spreads.” Business Insider. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-partners-with-mano-amiga-and-faith-in-texas-to-free-people-from-jail-as-coronavirus-spreads-1029094850
10. “RFK Human Rights Helps Fund Community Bond Program.” Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, May 7, 2024. https://rfkhumanrights.org/in-the-news/rfk-human-rights-helps-fund-community-bond-program.
11. “First Cite & Release Ordinance in Texas to Take Effect Sunday in San Marcos.” ILRC, May 27, 2020. https://www.ilrc.org/first-cite-release-ordinance-texas-take-effect-sunday-san-marcos.
12. “Hays County Jail Advocates.” MANO AMIGA. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.manoamigasm.org/hays-county-jail-advocates.
13. Rothouse, Melinda. “Criminal Injustice: A View from the Juror’s Box.” The Texas Observer, October 1, 2022. https://www.texasobserver.org/cyrus-gray-justin-gage-murder-san-marcos/.
14.  Bingamon, Brant. “After Almost Six Years in Jail, Devonte Amerson Has Been Released.” The Austin Chronicle, December 12, 2023. https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-12-12/after-almost-six-years-in-jail-devonte-amerson-has-been-released/.
15. “Mano Amiga.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed July 29, 2024. https://x.com/ManoAmigaSM/status/1814410192156545419.
16. Flores, Zara. “Mano Amiga, Ground Game Texas Secure Marijuana Decriminalization Initiative for November Election in San Marcos.” Community Impact, June 1, 2022. https://communityimpact.com/austin/san-marcos-buda-kyle/nonprofit/2022/06/01/mano-amiga-ground-game-texas-secure-marijuana-decriminalization-initiative-for-november-election-in-san-marcos/.
17. “ManoAmiga.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed July 29, 2024. https://x.com/ManoAmigaSM/status/1782226183947448727.
18. “Mano Amiga.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed July 29, 2024. https://x.com/ManoAmigaSM/status/1773442188816294006.
19. “Mano Amiga.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed July 29, 2024. https://x.com/ManoAmigaSM/status/1691494984480960526.
20. “Curfew.” Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/pubs/reform2/ch2_c.html.
21. Marentes, Samuel. “San Marcos Community Must Help Mano Amiga Repeal Chapter 143.” The University Star. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://universitystar.com/26078/opinions/san-marcos-community-must-help-mano-amiga-repeal-chapter-143/.
22. “Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces New Actions to Secure the Border.” The White House, June 4, 2024. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/04/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-secure-the-border/.
23. Banks, Nina. “Federal Judge Orders Caldwell County to Hold Bail Hearings in Public.” The Texas Tribune, February 6, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/caldwell-county-bail-hearings-lawsuit/.
24. Amiga, Mano. “Mano Amiga.” Twitter, February 19, 2021. https://twitter.com/ManoAmigaSM/status/1362912097479380992.
25. “Mano Amiga.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed July 29, 2024. https://x.com/border_human/status/1758630326576808187.
26. “Bill Analysis: Senate Bill 4.” Capitol Texas. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/analysis/html/SB00004I.htm.
27. “Operation Lone Star.” Office of the Governor | Greg Abbott. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://gov.texas.gov/operationlonestar.
28. Bingamon, Brant. “Protesters Want Airline Kicked out of San Marcos for Flying Migrants for Desantis.” The Austin Chronicle, October 18, 2023. https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-10-18/protesters-want-airline-kicked-out-of-san-marcos-for-flying-migrants-for-desantis/.
29. “Mano Amiga Program.” Empresas Fonalledas, July 15, 2024. https://www.empresasfonalledas.com/en/mano-amiga-helping-hand-program/.
30. “Mano Amiga Grants $236K to 24 Puerto Rico Organizations.” News is My Business, July 1, 2024. https://newsismybusiness.com/mano-amiga-grants-236k-to-24-puerto-rico-organizations/.
31. “2019-990-United-Way-for-Greater-Austin.PDF.” UnitedWayAustin, 2022. https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2019-990-United-Way-for-Greater-Austin.pdf.
32. “United Way for Greater Austin.” United Way For Greater Austin, March 22, 2024. https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/.
33. Villalpando, Nicole. “United Way, Austin Community Foundation Give $3.5 Million in Final All Together ATX Grants.” Statesman, December 8, 2020.  https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2020/12/08/united-way-austin-community-foundation-give-3-5-million-final-all-together-atx-grants/6494329002/.
34. “Smuuf Donates $800 to Mano Amiga.” San Marcos Record, December 6, 2019. https://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/news/smuuf-donates-800-mano-amiga.
35.  “Poetry Foundation Emergency Grant Recipients.” Poetry Foundation, April 6, 2021. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet-books/2021/04/poetry-foundation-emergency-grant-recipients.
36. “Circle for Justice Innovations (CJI).” InfluenceWatch, January 17, 2024. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/circle-for-justice-innovations-cji/.
37. “Search Our Awards.” Heising-Simons Foundation, October 31, 2022. https://www.hsfoundation.org/grants/search-our-awards/?grant_keyword=mano+amiga&grant_programs=&grant_type=&grant_amount_min=&grant_amount_max=&grant_year_min=&grant_year_max=&sort_order=grant_year-desc
38. “2022 Annual Report: Organizing Never Goes Out of Style .” Borealis Philanthropy, 2022. https://borealisphilanthropy.org/2022-annual-report/.
39. “The Four Freedoms Fund.” The Four Freedoms Fund , April 2021. https://neophilanthropy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/four_freedoms_fund-051121.pdf.
40. “RFK Human Rights Helps Fund Community Bond Program.” Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, May 7, 2024. https://rfkhumanrights.org/our-voices/rfk-human-rights-helps-fund-community-bond-program/.
41. “EIF 2020 Annual Report.” eifoundation. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.eifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EIF-Annual-Report-2020.pdf.
42. “Neo Philanthropy, Inc.. Form 990 Tax Year 2022.” NEO Philanthropy, 2022. https://neophilanthropy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NEO_Philanthropy_Inc._-_990_2022_Public_Disclosure_Copy_signed.pdf.