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At the start of 2025, Mobile Pathways faced a critical question: How do we scale a tech-for-good nonprofit, gain visibility, and remain grounded in the integrity that immigration attorneys and nonprofits rely on?
We work in a system where immigration court dates change overnight, legal representation is scarce, and deportations surge without warning. For years, we quietly built tools like Pathfinder, an AI-powered platform that immigration nonprofits now trust to track and support immigrants in removal defense. Pathfinder automates case updates using data from EOIR and USCIS—giving advocates the information they need to prevent deportations and secure work permits.
At first, we let the results speak for themselves.
Then everything changed.
When we launched our Immigration Court Data site, it became clear that the demand for reliable legal data was enormous. Pathfinder usage skyrocketed, and in 2025 alone, our tools were accessed over 100,000 times.
Attorneys began calling Pathfinder a “lifesaver.” Nonprofits cut their intake times in half. And our efforts caught the eye of major press outlets—from Mother Jones to The Guardian. The ultimate surprise? Seeing Mobile Pathways light up the NASDAQ tower in Times Square.
Suddenly, we weren’t just helping behind the scenes—we were influencing national conversations.
This inflection point of usage forced us to revisit a critical question. How can we balance visibility with responsibility?
The result was a recalibrated strategy with one clear goal—to engage with the media in a way that highlights our critical data gleaned from the Federal government, fostering integrity, and using a data-driven compass to steer towards accountability and transparency.
"Mobile Pathways provides unprecedented insight into the ways in which the immigration system is failing asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants. Without their complex data analysis, we would have very little understanding of what goes on inside immigration courtrooms and could not inform the public and people in power about what is really going on. These efforts have the ability to change people's lives."
— Max Siegelbaum, Co-Executive Director, Documented
Thanks to support from AlleyCorp, we built a PR strategy—our “Data Compass”—to amplify our work with care. We centered on four points:
We ultimately pointed our compass East, empowering journalists and funders with the same real-time government data our partners rely on.
Once we chose to engage publicly, we knew our credibility had to be bulletproof. That meant investing in our data science team to ensure every insight we shared was backed by accurate, reliable information. Immigration trends shift fast—sometimes overnight—and we needed a way to track those shifts at scale.
That’s where Pathfinder comes in.
Pathfinder is our AI-powered engine that scrapes and synthesizes thousands of immigration court records every single day. It pulls directly from EOIR and USCIS sources, unlocking near real-time insights into where the system is failing—and where advocates can intervene. Every new user helps the system grow stronger, revealing patterns that were once buried in bureaucracy.
Today, Pathfinder is used over 6,500 times daily by immigration nonprofits and attorneys across the country. With just an A-number, they can instantly access a client’s complete immigration history, get court date alerts, and send automated case updates via text message.
This reliability has earned us the trust of legal practitioners—especially those working in removal defense, where missing a single update can mean deportation. Pathfinder helps prevent no-shows, reduces intake time, and gives attorneys an edge in a chaotic system.
This year has been nothing short of a whirlwind. I joined Mobile Pathways just as our work was moving from quiet impact to national headlines. One minute I was learning the ropes; the next I was briefing our Board of Directors and fielding questions from the press.
As a mom of two, stepping into this level of momentum was exhilarating—and, honestly, a little overwhelming. But what made it doable was the clarity of our mission and the brilliance of the team behind it. We’re not just chasing press hits. We’re fighting for fairness in one of the most complex systems in America.
Our platform, Pathfinder, is now helping thousands of attorneys and nonprofits stay ahead of the chaos. Our data is driving conversations in courtrooms, newsrooms, and policy circles. And for the first time, we’re giving immigrants a chance to access their own legal journey without needing a lawyer at every turn.
We’re proving that when AI meets immigration justice, the result isn’t just better tech—it’s real empowerment for people who’ve long been left in the dark.
If you're a journalist, funder, or nonprofit ready to partner, report, or scale with us, I’d love to chat.
📩 jessica@mobilepathways.org
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Jessica Mann
Director of Marketing, Mobile Pathways
