50 Most Influential Latinos

Amilcar Valencia

Advocate for Inmigrant’s Freedom

Amilcar’s passion for justice led him to the immigrant movement supporting people affected by the immigration policies in the US. He was born in El Salvador and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from the University of Central America. He has been involved in the immigrants’ rights movement in Georgia for many years, including through working for the Georgia Latino Alliance for Humans Rights (GLAHR). In 2010, Amilcar along with his wife Katie Beno-Valencia and a group of compassionate people was a founding member of El Refugio, a ministry of hospitality and visitation at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA. In 2015, he was named El Refugio’s first executive director. Amilcar is a member of the steering committee of Georgia Detention Watch and new steering committee member for Detention Watch Network (DWN).