Recent Supreme Court Decisions Impacting Immigration Law

This timely CLE program examines three significant recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions affecting immigration law and policy. Professor Mark Steiner will analyze the Court’s decision addressing birthright citizenship and its constitutional implications, including the scope of federal authority and potential effects on citizenship rights. Jodi Goodwin will discuss the Court’s ruling concerning asylum processing and border metering practices, focusing on the decision’s impact on asylum seekers, agency procedures, and current border enforcement policies. Chiqui Sanchez Kennedy will examine the Supreme Court’s recent Temporary Protected Status (TPS) decision, discussing its practical consequences for TPS beneficiaries, ongoing litigation, and the broader implications for immigration practitioners and affected communities.

Speakers: Mark Steiner, Jodi Goodwin, Chiqui Sanchez Kennedy.

Mark E. Steiner

Mark E. Steiner is Professor of Law Emeritus at South Texas College of Law Houston, where he taught immigration law, legal history, and other subjects. He holds a J.D. and Ph.D. in History from the University of Houston and is the author of Lincoln and Citizenship (2021). A two-time Fulbright Scholar, Steiner has taught law internationally in Latvia and Taiwan. He serves on the State Bar of Texas Standing Committee on Laws Relating to Immigration and Nationality and is widely recognized for his immigration-related pro bono work, including receiving the 2022 HBA Harris County Bench Bar Outstanding Individual Pro Bono Award and BakerRipley’s 2023 Volunteer of the Year Award.

Jodi Goodwin

Jodi Goodwin has practiced immigration law exclusively since 1996. As the founding member of her law office, she worked with the U.S. Department of Justice as an attorney for the Immigration Court prior to going into private practice. She is listed in Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers as one of the top 1% in immigration law. Also, she has the highest “AV” rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. In 2007, she was honored with the Arthur C. Helton Award for Advancement of Human Rights by the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Chiqui Sanchez Kennedy

Elizabeth “Chiqui” Sanchez Kennedy is the Executive Director and founder of the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project (GHIRP), which she launched in 2020 after dedicating her career to providing high-quality legal services to immigrant communities through nonprofit organizations. Prior to founding GHIRP, she served as Director of Immigration Legal Services at YMCA International Services and previously held leadership and attorney positions with Catholic Charities’ Cabrini Center in Houston, Catholic Legal Services of Miami, Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) in New York City, and the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR). Throughout her career, Chiqui has represented clients before the Immigration Court, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Administrative Appeals Office, the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal district courts, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, while also supporting pro bono litigation on behalf of immigrant children in state and federal appellate courts. She earned her J.D. from South Texas College of Law and her B.A. from Davidson College.