Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 12:00 noon – 2 pm
Morgan Smith
For decades the US has attracted migrants from around the world, but especially numerous are those who have crossed, or attempted to cross, the southern border from Mexico. US immigration policies have fluctuated but as migration increased, laws and their enforcement have tightened making it more difficult for asylum seekers and economic migrants to immigrate to the US through Mexico. Who are these migrants? Where do they come from? Why? Has the migrant flow been stemmed by the Trump administration policies? What are the implications in the US and elsewhere? How does this fit into the larger picture of US-Mexican relations? What happens to those refused entry? What do the migrants need most? What humanitarian groups are the most active on the border? How do asylum courts fit into the picture? Is CBP the only agency patrolling the border?
Morgan Smith is a freelance writer and photographer who has been working with organizations and individuals in Juárez, Anapra and Palomas, Mexico as well as El Paso, Texas and Deming, New Mexico for the past 15 years on programs and activities involved in assisting border communities deal with the migration flow along the US-Mexican border. He has written articles for the Denver Post, the Santa Fe New Mexican, El Paso Inc, the Albuquerque Journal, El Comercio do Colorado and Desert Exposure based on his experiences. He will illustrate this talk with photos he has taken during his trips.
A lawyer by training, Mr Smith served as a Volunteer mediator in Denver County Courts and Director of the Legal Clinic at El Centro Humanitario de Los Trabajadores. He was president of the American Society of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Director of the Colorado International Trade Office, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture and Executive Director of Auraria Higher Education Center, Colorado’s largest campus.
He began his career as a public defender, attorney and as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. He has organized fund-raising campaigns for projects in Mexico, was former board chairman of the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts and has received numerous awards including the University of Colorado Distinguished Service Award, and the Citizen Diplomat Award from the Institute of International Education in New York City. He is fluent in Spanish, a graduate of Harvard University and has his JD from the University of Colorado School of Law.
Registration: This SFWAF lunch is $26 for members and $36 for nonmembers. You may pay by check made out to SFWAF and mailed to The Santa Fe World Affairs Forum, Santa Fe, PO Box 31965, NM 87594 or with a credit card using our Paypal account. Please indicate on your check or if using Paypal please note in “add special instructions to the seller” that your payment is for the Thursday, January 22, 2026 program.
Members: if you have not yet paid your 2025-26 membership dues, you may include the $50 per person annual dues in your payment for this program, but please also note in special instructions that dues are included. Because we are a 501(c)(3) organization, dues and contributions are tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.
If you are not a member or plan to bring a guest who is not a member, please include your best contact information and your guest’s name. We use nametags. If you are interested in membership, please email us: sfwaforum@outlook.com.
Payment for this program is non-refundable after Friday January 16, 2026. We strongly prefer that payment be made by Paypal or check postmarked by January 16, 2026 at the latest to facilitate check in. It is also very helpful if you are sending a check to email us at sfwaforum@outlook.com to let us know you plan to attend.
If you are not a member but interested in membership, please see our membership page and email sfwaforum@outlook.com for additional information.
Because we are a 501(c)(3) organization, dues and contributions are tax deductible.
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Location: SFCC Board Room (#223) is in the West Wing (Administration building). The college is located at 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Enter through the building’s main entrance (on the left side of the building behind the flag poles). The Board Room is on the corridor to the left of the Campus Center.
Directions: From Rodeo Road turn south onto Richards Avenue. Turn into the campus main drive. Parking lots are in front of the building. From I-25 take the Cerrillos Road exit, turn east onto Governor Miles Road and then right onto Richards Avenue. Then follow directions above.
The Speaker
A lawyer by training, Mr Smith served as a Volunteer mediator in Denver County Courts and Director of the Legal Clinic at El Centro Humanitario de Los Trabajadores. He was president of the American Society of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Director of the Colorado International Trade Office, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture and Executive Director of Auraria Higher Education Center, Colorado’s largest campus.
He began his career as a public defender, attorney and as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. He has organized fund-raising campaigns for projects in Mexico, was former board chairman of the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts and has received numerous awards including the University of Colorado Distinguished Service Award, and the Citizen Diplomat Award from the Institute of International Education in New York City. He is fluent in Spanish, a graduate of Harvard University and has his JD from the University of Colorado School of Law.
