Our Baltimore Team

Alejandra Morisi supports KIND’s Baltimore field office. She joined KIND in 2017 and, prior to her current role, Alejandra served as the Acting Deputy Director of KIND’s Emergency Response team supporting emergency sites near the Southern border. She has been providing direct legal representation services to unaccompanied children and their families in the Maryland area since 2014 and has been actively involved in advocacy and education regarding this community and their immigration relief. Alejandra has been a panelist and guest speaker at the Judicial College of Maryland; our local radio station, WYPR; and University of Maryland-Baltimore County among others. Prior to joining KIND, she was a solo practitioner and a staff attorney with Catholic Charities of Baltimore. She is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and holds an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Florida State University. Alejandra is a native Spanish speaker and a first generation immigrant from Chile.

Prior to joining KIND in July 2020, Victoria Villator worked as an immigration attorney at a non-profit organization in Howard County, Maryland, where she focused her practice on representing individuals in applications for humanitarian relief, family-based petitions, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. Victoria also previously worked in private practice in Montgomery County, Maryland, where she represented individuals in immigration and family law matters. Victoria spent her childhood in Russia and Israel, an experience that shaped her interest and commitment to advocating for immigrant children. Victoria is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, and obtained her B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park. Victoria is admitted to practice law in Maryland.

Bio coming soon!

Prior to joining KIND, Diana Pak Yi worked for a private firm in Maryland. Ms. Pak Yi has successfully represented minors and adults both defensively before the Executive Office for Immigration Review and affirmatively before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Ms. Pak Yi also has advocated for clients in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and Ninth Circuits, and various U.S. District Courts. Ms. Pak Yi received degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the American University Washington College of Law. She has been admitted to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. She was raised in Bogota, Colombia, is a native Spanish speaker, and is conversationally fluent in Korean.

Sarah Choi is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Illinois College of Law. She started her legal practice as in-house counsel at a Fortune 500 company in the Chicago area, providing legal counsel in the areas of ethics, compliance, and securities. Sarah returned to Maryland in 2015 and volunteered with KIND’s Baltimore office. Shortly after, she joined another nonprofit organization practicing immigration law, focusing on family and humanitarian work. Sarah is dedicated to advocating for the rights of immigrants, including volunteering with the Dulles Justice Coalition at Dulles Airport in the wake of the Muslim travel ban in early 2017. She joined KIND in 2018 and is fluent in Korean.

Beth Simon joined KIND as a Staff Attorney in December 2020. Prior to joining KIND, Beth worked as a Staff Attorney at Ayuda serving adults and minors seeking immigration relief. Before that, Beth was a commercial litigator at law firms in New York and Houston where she maintained an active pro bono practice representing asylum seekers. Beth earned a BA with highest honors in Near Eastern Studies from The University of Chicago and a MA in Middle East Studies from New York University. She earned her JD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 2008.

Farah Khan joined KIND in August 2023. Prior to joining KIND, she was a Skadden Fellow at CASA where she spent two years working on the development of coalitions fighting for the abolition of immigration detention and the establishment of universal representation for noncitizens facing deportation. She also directly represented individuals in removal proceedings and in affirmative matters. Farah holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. In law school, she spent a year interning with CASA. She also worked in the Bronx Defenders’ New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, interned with Just Futures Law, and was a student attorney with her school’s Prisoner and Reentry Clinic. Farah is a first-generation immigrant and is passionate about providing compassionate, holistic support to her community.

Grace Benton joined KIND as a Staff Attorney in January 2023. Prior to coming to KIND, Grace was as staff attorney with the Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, where she provided direct representation to non-citizens, mentored law students, and taught an undergraduate course on citizenship and naturalization in America. She continues to teach this course as an adjunct professor with the University of Maryland. She was also an Immigrant Justice Corps fellow at the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition, where she represented non-citizen adults in Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) detention. Before her legal career, Grace worked on immigrant and refugee rights issues in the Middle East. Grace holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in Arab Studies and a Certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies from the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland and speaks Spanish and Arabic.

Kala Fryman joined the KIND team as a Staff Attorney in August 2022. Prior to joining KIND, Kala served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable William V. Tucker in the Howard County Circuit Court. Kala also previously worked with KIND in a variety of capacities. She was an intern with the Baltimore office in 2020, a temporary paralegal with the Falls Church/DC field office in 2021, and a Legal Advocate at El Paso EIS in 2021. Kala graduated cum laude from Drexel University with a BA in International Area Studies and concentration in International Justice and Human Rights. Through her undergraduate program and semesters abroad in Russia and Jordan, Kala became passionate about migration, human rights and working with vulnerable populations. Kala then earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law. While in law school, she was actively involved in the Immigration Law Society as Vice President and practiced as a student attorney in the Legal Data and Design Clinic.

Krystel García joined the KIND team in February 2024. She graduated cum laude from Florida State University where she received her B.A. in political science and English literature with a minor in political philosophy. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law with certificates in civil, common, and international law. Krystel previously worked as a Staff Attorney for the unaccompanied children’s program at Catholic Charities-Archdiocese of New Orleans, Immigration & Refugee Services. In this role, she provided direct representation to unaccompanied minors from Central America seeking relief from removal proceedings, focusing primarily on family-based petitions and asylum applications. She is a member of the Louisiana and District of Columbia bars. She is a Miami, Florida native who loves the snow.

Lauren Wilhelm joined KIND as a Staff Attorney in July 2023. Prior to joining the team at KIND, Lauren served as a Judicial Law Clerk through the Department of Justice Honors Program at the New York Broadway Immigration Court, and later worked as an Attorney Advisor at the Baltimore Immigration Court. Lauren earned her BA from the University of Maryland where she majored in government and politics with a minor in rhetorical discourse. During her studies she focused on international migration and human rights issues. Lauren earned her JD from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and is admitted to practice law in the state of Maryland. While in law school, Lauren was on the executive boards of the Immigration Law and Policy Association and Maryland Public Interest Law Project. She also participated as a student attorney in her law school’s Immigration Clinic, and she served as a law student volunteer with the Southern Poverty Law Center Immigrant Justice Group providing legal assistance to detainees at the Folkston Detention Center in Georgia. Lauren has worked on a variety of immigration related issues through her employment with the DOJ and internships during law school.

Leslie Espino is the daughter of two Guatemalan immigrants. She has two older sisters, and was born and raised in Nebraska. Leslie is a first-generation college graduate and received her Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is a Goodrich Scholar and a member of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. Prior to attending law school, Leslie interned at the U.S. Committee of Refugee and Immigrants, where she called upon unaccompanied minors to share their stories in order to find them pro bono counsel. She also spent time as a Bilingual Paralegal at Legal Aid of Nebraska where she assisted callers, located throughout the state, with civil legal matters and screened immigrants calling the Nebraska Immigration Legal Assistance Hotline for legal assistance with their respective immigration matters. She obtained her Juris Doctorate from Creighton University School of Law where she was actively involved in the Latinx Law Student Association as the Vice President and Immigration Law Society as the President. While in law school, she interned at Ayuda in Washington, D.C., Justice for Our Neighbors, in Omaha, Nebraska, (now Immigrant Legal Center) and at the Immigration Court in Omaha, Nebraska. In her free time she likes to hang out with her two nephews and two nieces, travel, and read. Leslie is barred to practice law in Maryland.

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon!

Andrew Gorden supports the Legal Services Department at KIND. He graduated cum laude from Boston University with a degree in International Relations in 2018. Upon graduating, Andrew joined the Peace Corps where he served as a Spanish Primary Literacy Promoter in the Dominican Republic. In that role, he worked closely with parents, teachers, and students to strengthen childhood literacy programs. After he returned from the Peace Corps, Andrew interned with the International Rescue Committee's New York Resettlement Department. During this internship, Andrew supported a team of Caseworkers in the delivery of Post-Release Services to unaccompanied immigrant children. Prior to joining KIND in June 2022, Andrew was a Bilingual Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Case Supervisor with Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia Inc. As a Case Supervisor, Andrew led a diverse group of CASA volunteers assigned to cases of child abuse and neglect. In his free time, Andrew loves to play guitar, watch baseball, and take his puppy, Rango, on long walks in nature.

Belkis Alvarez is a Paralegal in the KIND Baltimore Office, starting in April 2023. Belkis was born in the Dominican Republic and migrated to the United States in 1990, just shy of her 23rd birthday. Having been a young woman navigating her own immigration journey and path to citizenship, she is excited to support migrant children in her new role. For the past 17 years, Belkis has held management positions at companies such as International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Panera Bread, and Whole Foods. She has also held administrative roles in various fields such as immigration, healthcare, and architecture. Belkis is a proud mother and grandmother. When she is not spending time with her family, she enjoys traveling, particularly to her home country, and cooking various dishes.

Judith Martinez supports the Legal Programs department at the Baltimore office as a Paralegal. She joined KIND in June 2023. With a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a drive to pursue law school in the future, Judith brings an understanding of social dynamics and a passion for advocating for marginalized individuals. She has previous experience at a domestic violence shelter as a shelter manager and in case management. Additionally, Judith has volunteered with organizations assisting migrant communities and served as a Guardian ad Litem for children in the dependency system.

Karissa Stanio supports the Legal Programs department at the KIND Baltimore office as a Paralegal. She joined the KIND team in December of 2023, just after returning back to the United States from her final semester of college spent abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Prior to her brief stint studying in Argentina, where she was involved in a young adult group at her parish and youth services volunteer programs, Karissa studied International Relations and Spanish Translation at American University. Karissa has worked as a translator and research assistant for American University’s Immigration Lab, served as a Resident Assistant, and joined DC immigrant rights organizations in providing legal services to the DC immigrant community. In her spare time, Karissa enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Bio coming soon!

Virginia Moraleda is a Social Services Supervisor at KIND’s Baltimore office. She is originally from Spain and also lived in Dublin, Ireland. She graduated from UNED with a B.A. in Social Work and also holds a M.A. in Applied Sociology: Social Problems from Complutense University of Madrid and a M.A. in Leadership and Management from Notre Dame of Maryland University. Ms. Moraleda has broad experience working with diverse populations, including sex workers, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, domestic abusers, and female prisoners. Prior to joining KIND, she worked as an Intercountry Case Manager with separated and unaccompanied minors at International Social Service-USA in Baltimore.

Connie Martinez is a Senior Social Coordinator at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in the Baltimore Maryland office. She joined KIND in spring of 2023. Ms. Martinez was born in Houston, Texas but was raised here in Maryland. Ms. Martinez graduated from Bowie State University with a B.S in Social Work. She was raised by a single mother, who migrated alone here in United States during the civil war in El. Salvador in the 1980’s. Ms. Martinez is the first to graduate with a degree in her immediate family. Her goal is to pursue an M.S.W soon. Ms. Martinez is a proud mother of two kids. Prior to joining she has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) /Medical Technician (MT) and Medical Assistant (MA). Ms. Martinez worked for Montgomery County Language Minority Health Project that identified clinic patients to the Women’s Health Improvement Program (WHIP). She worked with various non-profit Montgomery County and statewide programs to outreach patients for local health care services. Including, Women’s Cancer Control Program, Maryland Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. She educated patients in understanding benign and malignant diseases and their treatment. In addition, she worked in Medstar Montgomery Medical Center that identified and properly connected underserved emergency room patients to primary and specialty care services and resources. This integrated medical and behavioral health care services. This mainly included individuals who were undocumented. Ms. Martinez interned at Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services INC (LARS). As an Emergency Services Intern, she provided vital case management services to low income and homeless individuals and families. Similarity, Ms. Martinez previously worked with Linkages to Learning (LTL) as a Family Case Manager, that provided accessible prevention and early intervention services to at-risk children and their families to improve adjustment to and performance in school, home, and community. This integrated approach to health, social services, community development, and engagement to support student learning, strong families, and healthy communities to overcome obstacles to learning and growth. Along with that, she was also promoted to work with Maryland Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). She worked with to Supplemental Security Income / Social Security Disability Income (SSI/SSDI) for eligible adults who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or co-occurring substance use disorder. Ms. Martinez loves to work with the underserved and vulnerable populations. She is a strong advocate for those in need. In her spare time, she loves to take her kids to the park and traveling to Florida.

Hannah Pursley, LMSW is the Senior Social Services Coordinator for the Social Services team at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). She joined the KIND team in May 2023. Prior to joining KIND, Hannah served as the Lead Advocate at Asylee Women Enterprise, where she provided clinical case management to over 100 asylum seekers and forced migrants. Hannah has also served as an Americorps member at CASA of Maryland and an intern at the International Social Service-USA Branch. Hannah holds a BSW from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and an MSW from University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Social Work. In her free time, Hannah provides pro bono therapy services to refugees and asylum seekers. She is a passionate advocate for immigrant mental health, client self-determination, and culturally sensitive services.