ABOUT US
Immigrant Connection at Path to Hope ("Path to Hope") is a ministry of Downtown Hope based in Annapolis, MD, focused on enabling access to quality, low-cost and pro bono legal services for immigrants and refugees in our community. We are also a member of Immigrant Connection's national legal network, made up of 20+ church-based legal services clinics across the United States.
Path to Hope became accredited by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on November 30, 2022. We are the first DOJ-accredited legal clinic in Annapolis and the only DOJ-accredited legal clinic in Anne Arundel County (see DOJ accreditation roster).
Path to Hope opened our doors in April 2023. Since then, we’ve conducted over 140 legal consultations and assisted immigrants from El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Burma, Haiti, and Ghana in gaining work authorization, U.S. permanent residency, and U.S. Citizenship.
Our Team
Path to Hope is staffed by two Department of Justice (DOJ)-Accredited Representatives who are authorized by the DOJ to provide legal representation to immigrants before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
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Kristin Statham is the Site Director at Path to Hope and a long-time advocate for immigrants and refugees. Kristin has worked as a U.S. diplomat for the past 14 years, including six years serving our country in foreign postings in the Middle East and South Asia. Her domestic experience includes several years working in policy positions at U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, and the White House. Previous to this, Kristin worked in the corporate immigration law practice of Paul Hastings LLP in Atlanta, Georgia, and in the refugee resettlement and legal services office of World Relief in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Antonio Martinez is a long-time Annapolis resident who has worked in various ministries and social justice organizations serving the Latino community in our city. His service experience includes positions with pop-up food pantries in Annapolis and with Marshall Hope Corporation. Antonio is a second-generation immigrant of Mexican heritage whose family is heavily involved in social advocacy on behalf of immigrants and refugees in our city. He is bilingual in Spanish and English.
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Mackenzie Watkins is the Legal Services and Outreach Coordinator at Path to Hope and has worked with various immigration law and advocacy organizations serving the immigrant community in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas. Before joining Path to Hope, she interned with the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition supporting attorneys on asylum applications. In Annapolis, she has worked with the Center of Help, an organization supporting the local Latino immigrant community. Mackenzie is bilingual in Spanish and English.
