Migration at Georgetown University and teaches international migration at that university. Until 2005 he was chair of Central America and the Caribbean at the United States Foreign Service Institute. Manuel Orozco taught Political Science at the University of Akron, Akron, OH. He has also been a researcher for the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute working on issues related to migration, ethnicity, international relations, and their implications for the United States.

In addition to his academic work, he has worked as a policy consultant for various organizations in Central America, the United States, and South Africa, developing programs on democracy and governance issues, as well as on migration and remittances. He has also taught International Relations in Costa Rica and served on various boards in Nicaragua and the United States. His areas of interest include Central America, globalization, democracy, migration, conflict in war torn societies, and minority politics.

Dr. Orozco holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin, masters in Public Administration and Latin American Studies, and a B.A. in International Relations from the National University of Costa Rica.