What do I need to know about immigration bonds?
As of mid-2019, the average number of days people spend detained for immigration violations has risen to 46. This is over a month of time away from friends and family before trial, if your loved one experiences an immigration arrest in North Carolina or elsewhere in the U.S. Immigration bonds enable you to get the people you care about back home, so they can seek quality legal support.
What are immigration bonds?
Immigration bonds are one type of bail bonds. This payment made to the court enables you to get your loved one out of detention, so they can come home. You need this type of bond after arrest for immigration violations, just like someone needs a bail bond after arrest for criminal offenses. Once your loved one makes all of their court appearances and satisfies other conditions of their bond, you get some of your money back.
The two types of immigration bonds include delivery bonds and voluntary departure bonds. The type you need to get your loved one out of detention depends on their individual circumstances.
About Delivery Bonds
You need a delivery bond after your friend or family member’s warrant-based arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The money you pay for a delivery bond essentially guarantees that the person arrested will show up for their immigration hearing. If they do not show up to all of their hearings, the court permanently keeps the bond money. They also face potential deportation to their country of origin.
When you post a delivery bond, the arrested individual gets to return home and spend time with family while awaiting trial. But the judge must approve the detainee for this type of bond, before you can use one. If the person held by ICE is a flight risk in the judge’s eyes or that individual has (allegedly) committed a felony, a delivery bond is not an option.
About Voluntary Departure Bonds
A second immigration bond is the voluntary departure bond. This bond allows the person held by ICE to leave the United States at their own expense during a specified time period. After leaving the country as promised, the court returns the bond money. If they do not leave the U.S. according to the agreement, ICE issues an arrest warrant and you lose the bond money forever.
Cost of Bond after Immigration Violation
The judge determines the bond amount for each case on an individual basis. The amount generally depends on the arrested party’s financial means, immigration violation charges and the defendant’s flight risk. The Justice Department does not limit these bond amounts, but the lowest cost is $1,500.
If the defendant believes the judge set bond too high, they can appeal the decision. This must take place within 30 days of the original hearing. But you must realize that bond amounts do not change without clear and significant legal reasons.
How can I afford to pay my loved one’s immigration bond?
Most people cannot afford the immigration bond in one payment. Judges purposefully set these amounts to ensure that defendants take court hearings and other requirements very seriously. Since most people do not have thousands of dollars in ready cash, you need a bail bond agent’s help.
A bail bondsman, also an immigration bond agent, pays the full bond amount for you. They charge you a fee for this and help you get your loved one out of ICE detention. This typically involves you paying a small down payment that covers the agent’s fee. You can ask for a payment plan with low to zero interest to pay the rest. This way, you do not need to make serious financial decisions or risk your own immediate financial well-being.
A Bail Bondsman Posts Bond in Court for You
To bond someone out after an ICE arrest, you must be a U.S. citizen or green card holder. But when you use a bail bondsman, the bond agent does this for you. But you need to contact a bail bonds agency as soon as possible after your loved one’s detention.
If ICE detains your loved one for an immigration violation in the Raleigh, North Carolina area or one of the counties we serve, call DJ’s Bail Bonds. DJ’s Bail Bonds helps you get an immigration bond to bring your loved one back where they belong while awaiting court hearings. In Wake, Franklin, Chatham, Harnett, Johnston or Lee counties, call DJ’s Bail Bonds anytime, 24/7 and 365 days per year, at (919) 986-1547.