Fast Facts

• Student Life at LA:
  Life! Be In It! (now Arrupe)
  Amnesty International
  Honors Justice Seminar
• Occupation:
  Owner and Managing Attorney at Grupo Reu Law Firm, LLC, founded in 2013
• Achievements and Milestones
  Celebrating 10 years as an attorney; served as a panelist at the AILA 2023 National Conference; Named a faculty member at the AILA Chicago 2023 Courtroom Skills Workshop
• Education:
  Loyola University (BA, Polical Science; Minor, Latin American Studies)
  DePaul University College of Law (JD with a certificate in Business and International Law

Tell us about the work you do. 

I am an immigration attorney that focuses on family and humanitarian immigration (e.g. asylum, deportation defense, and family petitions). We have two offices, one in Chicago and one in Guatemala. 

Why were you drawn to this line of work? 

I am a first-generation Guatemalan American. My parents immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s. My parents were always helping their community. In grade school, my parents opened a Guatemalan restaurant, Antojitos Guatemaltecos, where I saw first hand how immigrants needed help navigating the US. My parents would always help them and I would see their selfless work and I wanted to follow in their footsteps and help, too. 

How did your time at Loyola prepare you for your current role? 

During my senior year at Loyola Academy, I took Honors Justice Seminar. As part of my service, I was able to be a legal assistant at Centro Romero, a not-for-profit in Rogers Park. There, I saw the need for an immigration lawyer who could speak their language. So, since I was 17, I wanted to be an immigration attorney. Also, Loyola Academy instilled in me to be a woman for others. 

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that inspires you? 

Women and Men for Others. No Human Being is Illegal. 

Who at Loyola influenced or inspired you? 

There was not much diversity at LA back then. It was really hard for me. But Ms. Sarah Bennett was so sweet to me, and she and the Life! Be In It! program enabled me to feel included. She was like a light for me during high school. Also, Ms. Beatrice Shoular made my lunch periods amazing. I loved hanging out with her and her jokes. I am so grateful to them and to the Campus Ministry Department, which allowed me to thrive at LA. 

At the end of the day, what makes you most proud? 

Being able to help someone obtain legal status in the United States with dignity and respect. I love seeing how people coming out of the shadows and obtaining legal status changes their lives. I get to see them transform and prosper. Isn’t that what the American Dream is all about? 

How do you stay connected to LA? 

I LOVE being a summer service chaperon for Loyola’s trip to the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, AZ. I have done it twice and feel absolutely privileged to have that opportunity.