Attorney's faith helps her every day in her business

Intermountain Catholic

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Gloria Cardenas Conn (second from left to right) is shown with her team at Familia América Immigration Law Firm. Monsignor Lawrence Sweeney blessed the office. IC photo/Laura Vallejo

WEST VALLEY CITY – Since Gloria Cardenas Conn and her family moved to Utah from Los Angeles three years ago, Cardenas has established an immigration law firm, first in Park City and now in West Valley City at the Latino Mall.

"I started the business three years ago because I wanted to start an office that would advocate for the population here in Utah," said Cardenas Conn, a member of Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish. "My husband and I also, we think this is a good place to raise our children."

An active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Salt Lake City Chapter, Cardenas Conn focused exclusively on an immigration practice in 2009. She has received training in this area from the AILA National Conference on Employment-Based Immigration, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and the AILA Annual National Conference in Washington D.C. She also participates in the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

She decided to pursue this area of law because "it was challenging and because it was going to be very rewarding to people," she said.

Cardenas Conn remembers her strong emotion when, in 1996, Pope John Paul II addressed the nation during World Migration Day and said the immigration should not hurt children. "Because of that I don’t judge others; I just try to help them with the laws," she said.

In 2010, Cardenas Conn participated in a seminar held in El Paso, Texas. A special guest at the seminar was Santiago Burciaga, chief of the Immigrant Visa Section for the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. At the seminar, she learned strategies for successful visa applications.

That knowledge has helped her help people through Holy Cross Ministries in Salt Lake City to get their visas.

"People, for free, can get the papers through the Holy Cross Ministries. I have done some visa cases, some domestic violence cases, and I feel very proud that I have been able to help at least 25 people with getting their papers," said Cardenas Conn.

In addition to her other activities, she is a member of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Advisory Committee, and hosts a Saturday morning radio show on La Grande 101.1 F.M. During the show, as a community service, she educates her listeners on U.S. immigration laws.

"In this show I let people know what their options are, and I let them know they should not go to a ‘Notario’ (notary), they should go to an immigration attorney who can help them with their problem," said Cardenas Conn.

Here in Utah, the biggest challenge in defending people in immigration proceedings is that, "because of no fault of their own, they don’t have the money to stay in the United States," she said. "I work hard to research the law and to work with the families to find a way so they can stay here and keep their families together. Oftentimes that is working with the judges and the prosecutors to see if there is some kind of discretion that can be given to the client based on their hard work and good moral character."

Her Catholic values and education have helped her to keep her focus on the people, she said.

"I believe that every petition is for a human being. We always say a little prayer for them, and we hope that the petition will get in the hands of someone who would have the good grace to make the decision that will be good for them," said Cardenas Conn. "There’s always hope, even though sometimes it’s hard. There is always hope."

Cardenas Conn’s law firm is Familia America, LLC, located at 2470 S. Redwood Road, Suite 207.