Prior to founding Arbusto Law, Reta directly represented unaccompanied children, served as a mentor to pro bono attorneys, and led the local training programming at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Reta became nationally recognized for her work with unaccompanied Afghan children after the fall of Kabul. Reta helped lead an effort at KIND to meet these children’s unique needs and guide them and their attorneys through the immigration system. Reta shared her strategies and experiences working with Unaccompanied Afghan Minors with The Atlantic and presented at the ABA Commission on Immigration and KIND Unaccompanied Children Service Provider Training in 2023.

In 2016 Reta developed and launched an Immigrants Rights project in Central New York after listening to the community’s legal needs. Through this project Reta assisted immigrants with a variety of issues, including state court guardianship and custody for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, drafting mandamus actions for long pending immigration cases, assisting disabled refugees gain US citizenship. She also fought for immigrants’ rights to language access, fair housing, and access to special education services.

Background & Education

Reta spent her childhood in Alaska, went to the University of Washington for her undergraduate degree, and attended Syracuse University College of Law for her Juris Doctorate. After enduring the cold in Central New York for long enough, Reta and her family moved to the DMV region.

Professional Admissions

• Licensed to practice in New York

• Licensed to practice in Virginia

Professional Memberships

• American Immigration Lawyers Association

• National Immigration Project

• Virginia Women Attorneys Association

• Fairfax Bar Association