U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) maintains an online registry of individuals whom ICE has detained. If you know the detainee’s Alien Registration Number (A-number) and country of origin, it may be easiest to search in this manner. However, you also can search by an individual’s name. This is a good way to track down the location of an individual who has been detained by ICE. However, this system will not provide information about individuals who are under the age of 18. In order to potentially get a detainee released from an ICE facility, you must first determine whether ICE has set a bond. Payment of a bond in a certain amount may allow you have your loved one released pending the ongoing deportation proceedings. The purpose of a bond is to ensure that an alien reappears at an immigration hearing scheduled in the future. Some individuals, however, may not be eligible for bond. This means that the person must be mandatorily detained until the deportation proceedings are resolved. If the bond set is too high for you to pay, an immigration lawyer can ask the immigration court for a bond hearing, at which time the immigration judge will determine if the individual can be released and, if so, what amount of bond is required. The minimum bond is $1,500, but bond amounts can go much higher, even up to $20,000 or more. Anyone who pays a detainee’s bond must have legal status and appear with photo ID. You also should arrange for transportation for your family member from the detention facility. He or she will have an immigration court hearing scheduled, which may be at a distant point in the future. If the individual paid a bond, then the bond will be forfeited if he or she fails to show up at a subsequent hearing. If you or your family member is detained on removal charges, you undoubtedly are frightened at the prospect of removal and the separation of your family by the borders of different countries. Especially for those individuals who have lived in the United States for a lengthy period of time and built a life with your family, the possibility of removal is absolutely horrifying. The first step, however, is to figure out whether you can be released from detention pending deportation, which is easiest if you have the help of an experienced immigration attorney. Our goal at Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., is to avoid your removal, or the removal of your family member, by mounting a strong legal defense. Call us today at (510) 491-0291 or contact us online in order to schedule a consultation with one of our skilled and experienced deportation defense attorneys.
