Despite the work of advocates against detention, the number of people held in custody by Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement (ICE) continues to increase. For a detainee’s friends and family, aside from the agony of their loved one being incarcerated, they also must grapple with the bond process.
The subject of immigration bonds causes a lot of confusion for the average person.
In today’s post, we’ll answer your questions about bond costs. Take a minute and read more about immigration bail bonds so that if you’re ever called to help a friend, you’ll have an idea of how much money you’ll need.
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Is there an Average Bail for Immigration Detainees?
As long as a detainee qualifies for release, they’ll have a bond hearing where a judge determines their bond costs.
While there isn’t an average bail amount, there is a minimum bond. The minimum bond amount is $1500. Immigration law determines the minimum, but the judge can use discretion to require a higher bond.
In 2018, about half of the people granted bond paid $7,500, while roughly 40% had to come up with $10,000 or more to get out of detention. A tiny fraction of those held in ICE custody were granted a bond of $25,000.
When You Do Not Have the Full Bond
In the United States criminal justice system, when a person bonds out of jail, they usually only need to come up with 10% of their bond. A bail bond company guarantees the balance.
That’s not the way immigration bonds work!
Generally, ICE detainees granted bond must post the entire amount before they’re released. This policy poses a financial hardship for the average immigrant.
If that’s the case with you or someone you love, don’t despair. There are other solutions when a person doesn’t have the full bond amount.
How an Immigration Bonding Specialist Can Help
One of the quickest ways to get a detainee released when you don’t have the entire bond amount is to use a surety bond.
You’ll need to work with an immigration bond agent. Your portion of the bond is usually between 15-20%. The bonding company covers the rest of the money.
In addition to covering the bond balance, immigration bonding specialists work directly with ICE to ensure they follow the correct payment process.
What better way to get your loved one released from ICE custody? You won’t run the risk of making a mistake (the process can be confusing), and you won’t need to deal with ICE agents.
You can find more info here on how to use the services of a company that specializes in paying immigration bonds.
Have More Questions on Immigration Bonds?
We hope this post answered your questions about how much immigration bail bonds cost. As you can see, the system works a bit differently than the criminal justice system—at least as far as posting bond goes.
If you still have questions about immigration bonds, don’t hesitate to contact an immigration bonding company for the answers.
If this article was helpful, you’ll likely find the other posts in our archives interesting as well. We invite you to browse the blog for posts on a range of topics.
