Luis Canales Brings Personal Immigration Story to Scranton

The University of Scranton’s Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities hosted a talk by immigration attorney Luis Canales, J.D., who shared his immigration story with students and faculty.

Members of the audience were moved to tears as Atty. Canales told of his personal journey in his presentation titled “From Asylum Seeker to Immigration Attorney: How I Turned My Struggle into My Strength” at a Jan. 30 presentation in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center. He shared his experience of trying to leave his birthplace, Honduras, to get to the United States, which he successfully did after many years of struggle.

By sharing his story, Atty. Canales welcomed the audience to immerse themselves in a discussion about the criminalization and degradation of immigrants, primarily during election cycles.

After facing countless instances of life-threatening gang violence in Honduras, Atty. Canales left for the United States, where he managed to make it all the way to the border only to be sent back time and time again.

“When your life is at risk, there is no limit to how many times you will try to reach a safer place. I left Honduras for the fourth and final attempt to make it to the United States. This time I had the phone number of a family member who lived here in Scranton,” Atty. Canales said.

After sharing his own story, Atty. Canales noted that most who embark on the journey to the U.S. are not so lucky.

As founder of Canales Law Offices, located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Atty. Canales has made it his life mission to help other immigrants earn asylum after successfully completing their journeys across the border. He urged audience members to think about the United States and what the future holds if immigration laws continue to falter. He shared his own beliefs and dreams for a brighter immigration system with the audience and used his own experience to reflect on the topic through a personal lens.

“We must not continue the path of criminalization or degradation of our people, the immigrants, because they are unique. They are gifted by God, just like we all are. They make the United States of America what it is: a great country,” Atty. Canales said.