Hola Asistente tracks and alerts intending immigrants about their precise case information. In addition to texting vital case alerts, it also sends free informational videos from immigration experts to provide basic legal information while covering breaking news in English, Spanish, and Indigenous languages.
The vast majority of marginalized immigrants cannot afford legal services and receive court notifications via U.S. mail. This is problematic since migrants move frequently and do not understand their legal rights when things go wrong.
“One-in-four immigration court cases get changed and many times, the immigrant never receives the notification letter,” says Jeff, founder of Mobile Pathways. “If they miss their day in court, they will most likely be deported. With Hola Asistente, immigrants gets texted about all sorts of changes relevant to their case.”
Excitingly, Mobile Pathways’ Hola Asistente tool was selected to be part of Aspen Digital’s first-ever Digital Equity Accelerator—a collaboration between HP and Aspen Digital to #AccelerateDigitalEquity. Through this new initiative, the Accelerator will provide hands-on support for the Mobile Pathways team so they can scale the adoption of Hola Asistente nationwide.
According to Aspen Digital, “Digital inequity has been a longstanding issue worldwide, and the pandemic has multiplied its effects.” The Accelerator cohort comprises seven nonprofits from the U.S., India, and Morocco that are innovating to “strengthen education, healthcare, and economic opportunity for women and girls; ethnic, racial, and religious minority communities; aging populations; people with disabilities; and the educators working with these groups.”
“With the 50th anniversary of World Refugee Day being June 20th, the timing of the launch of Hola Asistente and the Digital Equity Accelerator award couldn’t be more fitting for closing the digital divide in underserved communities,” says Jeff.
ABOUT MOBILE PATHWAYS
Mobile Pathways was founded in 2010 by award-winning immigration attorney, Jeff OÂ’Brien and philanthropist Bartlomiej Jan Skorupa to further their vision of offering exceptional and respectful legal assistance to immigrants, and in particular with asylum seekers. It is the bridge connecting immigrants to advocates, services, and reliable legal information about their numerous pathways to immigration via mobile phone technology. To reach the vast and diverse population of intending immigrants, Mobile Pathways partners with immigration-based nonprofits and attorneys who have the trust of their community.
ABOUT ASPEN INSTITUTE DIGITAL ACCELERATOR
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues.
The HP Foundation is fostering a culture of giving to accelerate the positive social impact of technology.
For more information, contact:
Bartlomiej Skorupa
Development Director
+1.415.755.3497
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