At 21, he joined Boston’s Laborers Local 223 Union, maintaining active involvement for over 20 years. Now, the 53-year-old is being pulled to D.C., where he awaits a likely confirmation as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Labor.

Mayor Martin Walsh’s office announced Saturday that the proposed 2020 fiscal year budget will allocate money to support the Greater Boston Immigrant Defense Fund, which helps fund education and legal services for Boston’s immigrant communities.