Roel Canales

Immigration Judge, Laredo Immigration Court. Appointed October 2021.

StrictDenies far more often than the national average+25.4 points

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

Judge Canales88.3%

Laredo court77.3%

All judges nationally62.9%

Decisions on the merits: 291
Asylum granted: 18
Other relief granted: 16
Denied: 257
Against own court: +11.0 pts

Denial rate by fiscal year
FY24	FY25	FY26
88%	87%	95%

Read from TRAC's chart to the nearest point. Years with fewer than 25 decisions are not shown.

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 53% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Mexico (43.3%), Venezuela (7.2%), Cuba (6.5%), China (5.8%), Nicaragua (5.5%).

Official biography

Roel Canales was appointed as an Immigration Judge to begin hearing cases in October 2021. Judge Canales ear ned a Bachelor of Finance in 1997, a Masters in Business Administration in 2000 from Texas A&M International University, and a Juris Doctorate in 2006 from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. From 2017 to 2021, he was in private practice, in Laredo, Texas. From 2013 to 2017, he served as an Associate County Court at Law Judge in Laredo, Webb County, Texas. From 2010 to 2013, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, in Laredo. From 2007 to 2010, he was in private practice, in Laredo. Judge Canales is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

As published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review at appointment, via TRAC.

In the record

No published reporting or appellate decisions naming this judge have been collected yet.

Other judges at Laredo

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About these figures. Denial rates describe outcomes in the cases a judge happened to hear, which differ by detention, nationality and representation. They are not a measure of fairness or competence. Method and sources are on the judges index.