Andrea Sáenz is an immigration lawyer, teacher, and writer with over 17 years of experience in nonprofits, government, and academia. She previously served as an Appellate Immigration Judge with the Board of Immigration Appeals from 2021 to 2025, adjudicating thousands of appeals and motions and training new Immigration Judges and attorney advisors.
Andrea also helped build New York’s universal representation programs as the attorney-in-charge of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Program at Brooklyn Defender Services from 2016-2021, where she supervised and litigated removal defense cases, including ground-breaking federal district court and circuit court litigation challenging detention and removal. Prior to her time at BDS, Andrea served as a Clinical Teaching Fellow at the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic at the Cardozo School of Law; an Immigration Staff Attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; an Attorney Advisor with the New York Immigration Court; and an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project.
Andrea is a passionate trainer who presents to advocates nationwide on habeas corpus litigation, BIA and circuit court appeals, and legal writing. Andrea was honored with the American Immigration Lawyers Association – New York Chapter’s “Pro Bono Champion” Award in 2019, the New York City Bar Association’s Legal Services Award in 2021, and Cardozo School of Law’s Community Impact Award in 2026. Andrea received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Prior to law school, she taught high school English as a Second Language in Houston, Texas. She is the first lawyer in her family and a former one-day Jeopardy! champion.
