Immigration bond and release from detention
Getting someone out of immigration detention usually means a bond. ICE can set one, and an immigration judge can redetermine it in most cases. Once the amount is set, an obligor pays it in full through the CeBONDS system or at an ICE office, and the money comes back at the end of the case if the conditions were met.
Для кого. Detained people, and the family members, law firms and nonprofits who post bonds for them.
Формы по порядку
- 1
Find out where the person is detained and whether they are bond-eligible
Mandatory detention under INA 236(c) makes some people ineligible for any bond.
- 2
Request a bond hearing before the immigration judge
The judge can lower, raise, or refuse to change the ICE-set amount.
- 3
Post the bond through CeBONDS or at an ICE office
The obligor must show a REAL ID-compliant licence, passport, birth certificate, naturalisation certificate, green card or military ID.
- 4
Collect the person after release
Facility release times vary.
- 5
Comply with every condition and appear at every hearing
A missed hearing breaches the bond and the money is forfeited.
- 6
Appeal a bond decision if needed
Где чаще всего ошибаются
- Obligors without bank accounts cannot use CeBONDS, since payment must be by Fedwire or ACH.
- A breached bond is forfeited and the obligor loses the money, not the detained person.
- Mandatory detention categories have been expanded and more people are now bond-ineligible.
- Bond amounts have risen and discretionary release has narrowed since 2025.
- Surety bond companies charge a non-refundable premium, typically a large percentage of the bond, that is never returned.
Что изменилось в 2025 и 2026 годах
- ICE has moved bond posting almost entirely to the CeBONDS electronic system, requiring Fedwire or ACH payment.
- Detention capacity expanded substantially through 2025 and 2026, and discretionary releases have narrowed.
- People have been detained at routine ICE check-ins, which has changed how families approach supervision appointments.