Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA) is a left-of-center pro bono immigration legal aid group. RILA was founded, and as of 2025 was housed, by an Anglican congregation in Arlington, Virginia. The church, Restoration Anglican, promotes “racial justice” on its website and the CEO of the now legally separate nonprofit identifies as supporting “social justice.” The group provides legal representation to asylum seekers who are trying to secure legal status to remain in the United States. ^{1 2 3}

Founding and History

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid was founded in 2015 as a community project of Restoration Anglican Church in Arlington, Virginia. The church is a member of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). While the ACNA is generally considered to be a more theologically conservative Anglican denomination, having broken from the Episcopal Church in the late 2000s, Restoration states that it runs a “race and reconciliation” program. The program seeks to promote “racial justice” and to bring attention to books, speakers, and field trips dealing with the subject. ^{1 3 4}

RILA was formed as a ministry of the church, but in 2019 it became an independent nonprofit, though as of 2025 it was still housed at the church. The project is primarily focused on assisting people with navigating the asylum process with the U.S. federal government. As of 2024, it had assisted 100 cases that reached acceptance, with hundreds more in the legal pipeline. ^{1 5}

Financials

Because Restoration Immigration Legal Aid is registered as a religious nonprofit, it does not file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). However, it does provide an overview of its financial situation in its yearly report. ⁵

The 2024 annual review reported $583,536 in revenue, of which just over half, at $312,710, came from individual donors. It received roughly five percent of its funding, totaling $30,947, from government sources; roughly 23 percent, totaling $133,751, from churches; and roughly 14 percent of its funding, totaling $79,600, from foundation grants. ⁵

It reported $486,496 in expenses, of which nearly 78 percent, totaling $379,133, went to program expenses; roughly 13 percent, totaling $62,060, to administration; and roughly nine percent, totaling $45,303, to fundraising expenses. ⁵

Projects and Initiatives

The main activity of Restoration Immigration Legal Aid is providing pro bono legal representation to asylum claimants seeking legal status in the U.S. The group reported in its 2024 summary that it had successfully achieved legal status in 100 cases since the group’s founding. In addition to direct legal services and legal clinics, the group also organizes volunteers to provide various services, such as translation, food, and assistance in finding employment. ^{5 6 1 7}

Leadership

As of 2025, Natalie Foote was the CEO and president of Restoration Legal Aid, a position she has held since 2016. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a Department of Justice Accredited Representative, meaning that she can represent people before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Her biography states that she is dedicated to “social justice.” ²

1. “About.” Restoration Immigration Legal Aid. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.restorationimmigration.org/about.
2. “Our Team.” Restoration Immigration Legal Aid. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.restorationimmigration.org/our-team.
3. “Race+Reconciliation – Restoration Anglican Church.” Restoration Anglican Church. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://restorationarlington.org/race-reconciliation/.
4. “What We Believe – Restoration Anglican Church.” Restoration Anglican Church. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://restorationarlington.org/what-we-believe/.
5. “RILA Annual Report 2024.” Restoration Immigration Legal Aid, n.d. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e888290a3549e4839b1195b/t/6750adf6277a2c43cf02362a/1733340664436/RILA_AnnualReport_Digital_2024.pdf.
6. “Mission.” Restoration Immigration Legal Aid. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.restorationimmigration.org/mission-1.
7. “Volunteer.” Restoration Immigration Legal Aid. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.restorationimmigration.org/volunteer-opportunities.