Pathfinder

Pathfinder is an AI-powered immigration assistance platform created by Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding fair access to justice through technology. Designed for immigration attorneys, accredited representatives, and nonprofit legal service providers, Pathfinder automates the gathering, analysis, and monitoring of immigration case data.

It delivers comprehensive case history reports and real-time updates to help practitioners manage removal defense cases efficiently and prevent devastating errors like missed hearings or deadlines.

Why Pathfinder Matters

The U.S. immigration system is notoriously complex, fragmented, and under-resourced. Attorneys and nonprofit providers often spend hours on routine administrative work—tracking EOIR databases, calling 1-800 hotlines, or piecing together scattered filings—to keep up with their clients’ cases. For immigrants, delays or missed updates can have catastrophic consequences, including deportation.

Pathfinder directly addresses this problem by:

• Reducing in absentia removal rates (3.4% for Pathfinder-managed cases vs. 9% national average).
• Freeing up attorney and paralegal time, enabling nonprofits to serve more clients with limited resources.
• Empowering asylum seekers with better tracking of Employment Authorization Document (EAD) eligibility, helping them stabilize incomes while their cases proceed.

Core Features

• Immigration Case History Reports: Instant, secure access to complete case histories, including charges, filings, hearing records, appeals, motions, and decisions.
• Real-Time Alerts: Automatic email notifications when a case status changes (e.g., new hearing dates, continuances, or judge assignments).
• Employment Authorization Support: Specialized workflows that track and streamline EAD eligibility for asylum seekers.
• Predictive Analytics: Identifies disparities in asylum outcomes across geography, judges, and case types, supporting advocacy and fairness efforts.
• Error Detection: Helps attorneys identify inconsistencies or errors in official records that could undermine their clients’ cases.

Technology Stack

• AI Engine: Powered by Google’s Gemini AI and integrated with Azure infrastructure.
• Data Sources: Aggregates and analyzes EOIR and USCIS data, creating a unified, comprehensive case report.
• Partnerships: Collaborates with the California Access to Justice Commission, The GitLab Foundation, and Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) to ensure broad adoption and real-world validation.
• User Base: Grew from 50 to 124 immigration organizations in the months following the 2024 U.S. election, with thousands of daily uses nationwide.

Impact & Outcomes

Pathfinder has already demonstrated measurable improvements in client outcomes and organizational efficiency:

• 3.4% in absentia rate compared to the national average of 9%, highlighting its role in keeping clients informed and present.
• 76% of users report that Pathfinder enables them to serve more immigrants with existing staff and budgets.
• 82% of users say Pathfinder improves their understanding of cases and their ability to explain complex processes to clients.

For asylum seekers in particular, Pathfinder’s EAD support workflows have become a lifeline, allowing them to access employment faster and with greater certainty—restoring stability and dignity during uncertain proceedings.

Vision for the Future

Pathfinder represents a federated, AI-driven infrastructure for immigration justice. By consolidating scattered government data into accessible insights, it is building a system where no immigrant has to face removal proceedings in the dark.

Future directions include:

• Expanding direct client-facing tools for pro se immigrants.
• Strengthening partnerships with USCIS to accelerate employment authorizations.
• Scaling predictive analytics to uncover systemic inequities in asylum outcomes.