Kica Matos is the president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF). Her background is working in civil society nonprofits like the Vera Institute of Justice and the Center for Community Change. She is an advocate, a community organizer, and also, a lawyer. She puts all of those skills to good use.
I’m delighted to have her as our guest tonight. With everything that’s going on, it’s easy to let ICE and Trump’s mass deportation policies slip onto the back burner. But people are still being held in immigration detention in inhumane conditions. The policy itself harms our country—we’re missing workers, friends, neighbors, and family members. There are a lot of issues surrounding the administration’s immigration policies, and they are happiest when they can carry them out without any light shining on them. That’s why we continue to keep our focus there.
Kica was one of Time Magazine’s top 100 people for 2026 because of her work in this area. They explained her selection for that group like this: “She has tirelessly challenged the Trump Administration on topics ranging from ICE officers wearing face coverings to the rights of unaccompanied migrant children. She is fearless in the face of oppression and she does not retreat.”
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