NILC and IJF President Kica Matos Named to TIME’s Annual TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2026

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NILC and IJF President Kica Matos Named to TIME’s Annual TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

WASHINGTON — TIME named Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF) to the 2026 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The list recognizes the impact, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.

“As President Trump tries to build an authoritarian regime off the backs of immigrants, the movement to defend our communities and protect this country’s fragile democracy has risen to meet the moment,” said Kica Matos. “I am deeply honored to be named to the TIME100 list, and I share this distinction with all the incredible advocates, attorneys, and community members who are showing this nation what it really looks like to fight for justice and freedom. True power resides with We the People, making our voices heard and caring for ourselves and our neighbors – I call on all sectors of civil society to join the pro-democracy fight.”

The TIME100 list includes pairings of the list members and the guest contributors TIME selects to write about them. Describing Kica Matos, Jess Morales Rocketto wrote, “She fights for the people, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized in our country. For decades she has fought for and alongside people on death row, working-class families, and immigrants. As the president of the National Immigration Law Center and Immigrant Justice Fund, Kica faces pressure with steadiness, rather than retreat.”

Previously, Kica Matos served as vice president of initiatives at the Vera Institute of Justice, the director of immigrant rights and racial justice at the Center for Community Change, and deputy mayor in the city of New Haven. She also worked as an assistant federal defender for death sentenced inmates and with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Amnesty International on death penalty and criminal justice issues.

The full list and related tributes appear in the April 27, 2026, issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, April 17, and now online here.

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