A Guide to Immigration Bonds

There are laws that guide you or your family member’s incarceration and processing, including the permission to post bail and be released, even on the same day. The professionals at US Immigration Bonds & Insurance Services understand that the ICE bond process can be a bit confusing, so we’ve created a quick guide to the immigration bail bond process to help you better comprehend what happens, when, and how.

When an illegal citizen is arrested and sent to be in federal custody, they’ll be detained. Depending on the charges, they can also be sentenced to deportation out of the United States. Usually, the detainee can appear in immigration court and plead their case. An immigration judge will make the final decision as to whether or not the detained shall be deported. If the detainee has the opportunity to post a bond, an immigration bondsman will be needed.

Learn more about the difference between criminal bail bonds and immigration bonds.

The Booking Process

Once the arrested immigrant has been sent to a detention facility, the booking process begins, and the inmate will be transferred to the proper department. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has the authority to release the person based on personal recognizance, which doesn’t require paying for a bond. However, when ICE sets a bond, you or a loved one will need to pay it or hire someone to help you.

The Types of Immigration Bonds

There are two different types of ICE bonds: the delivery bond and the voluntary departure bond.

Delivery Bonds: This type of bond is for an illegal immigrant who has been detained by ICE and has been qualified for the bond by the immigration judge. To qualify for a delivery bond, the immigrant must receive an arrest warrant and a notice of the conditions of custody. These types of bonds are set to make sure that the arrested immigrant shows up for all their court hearings in regard to their immigration. It also allows for them to spend time with their families, rather than in jail.

Voluntary Departure Bond: This type of bond is given as an option in some cases and allows the arrested immigrant to leave the country on their own terms and own expenses by a specific date. If the immigration bond is paid in full, it’s refunded to the detainee once they leave the country. However, the bond amount is forfeited if the immigrant does not leave.

The Cost of Immigration Bonds

ICE or an immigration judge will set the bond amount, and the amount will increase or decrease based on immigration status, criminal history, employment situation, and family in the United States. The usual minimum for a delivery bond is $1,500. The minimum cost of a voluntary departure bond is usually $500.

Ways to Pay for An Immigration Bond

Surety Bond: When the detainee’s loved ones work with an immigration bondsman to pay the bond.

Cash Bond: When the detainee’s loved ones pay the ICE bond in full. Once the detainee has made all of their hearings, that amount is fully refunded.

US Immigration Bonds & Insurance Services are nationwide immigration bondsmen, working with families all across the United States for many years. Contact us today if a loved one has been detained for immigration reasons.