Loving Our Neighbors

These are the reflections of Alison Thro, a RILA volunteer and member of Restoration Anglican Church.

I learned of RILA about a year ago while searching for opportunities to serve those in need in our community. I had recently retired from a legal career and was looking for tangible ways to live out the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. I was especially drawn to the prospect of volunteering with an organization that serves our immigrant neighbors — to engage with the reality of the sojourner. I started by taking notes of client intake interviews, helping with paperwork, and setting up for and cleaning up after special events. 

In recent months, each RILA case is requiring more hours of attention and advocacy because of continual changes in immigration law, policy and enforcement. This has created new opportunities to provide critical assistance for RILA clients, some of which can be uniquely filled by retired, licensed attorneys like myself. These include representing clients at ICE check-ins and at their asylum interviews. Due to the current climate, RILA clients are often afraid to attend ICE check-ins, and these appointments sometimes involve hours of waiting. Asylum interviews require significant preparation time, and representation on the day of the interview not only brings significant reassurance to clients but is incredibly important in ensuring the interview is fair and all possible legal arguments are presented. Having retired attorneys fill these roles is a meaningful and significant way volunteers can come alongside RILA clients and support RILA’s staff as the environment becomes increasingly challenging.

I was apprehensive the first time I volunteered to represent a RILA client at an ICE check-in, and later at an asylum interview. I had no prior experience with immigration law, and I was acutely aware of the weight of the responsibility.  RILA’s staff ensured I was well-prepared for both matters, allowing me to first shadow a RILA advocate at an ICE check-in, and providing me with extensive preparation and resources. In some respects, my experiences representing RILA clients have been among the most satisfying of my career.

RILA’s mission of advocating for legal status for the most vulnerable of our immigrant neighbors is compelling. The clients’ stories are both heartbreaking and inspiring — heartbreaking for the depth of suffering and magnitude of loss endured, and inspiring for the faith, courage, hope, and resilience manifested in the face of great adversity. As a volunteer, I've become part of a community that walks alongside clients as they journey through what can be a daunting legal process. Sharing in the clients’ stories and supporting clients on their journey is a sacred trust; it is a privilege and immensely humbling.