If someone in your family is sitting in ICE detention right now, the first question on your mind is probably the simplest one: how do I get them out? For a lot of families, the answer is an immigration bond. Here’s how bonds actually work, what they cost, and how to give your loved one the best shot at coming home while their case moves forward.
What an immigration bond is
An immigration bond works a lot like bail in a criminal case. You pay a set amount of money to the government, and in exchange your loved one is released from detention and allowed to live at home while their immigration case continues. The bond is a promise. It says the person will show up to every court hearing and follow the rules. If they do, the money comes back at the end.
The most common type is called a delivery bond. That’s the one that gets someone released from a detention center so they can fight their case from the outside, near their family and their lawyer, instead of from a cell.
Not everyone is eligible, and the rules are shifting
This is the part that has changed a lot recently, so it’s worth being straight about it. Some people in detention are not eligible for a bond at all. They’re held under what’s called mandatory detention, usually because of certain criminal convictions or how their case is classified.
In 2025, the government tried to expand mandatory detention to cover far more people, arguing that almost anyone picked up for deportation could be held without a bond hearing. Federal courts across the country have pushed back hard on that. By early 2026, hundreds of judges had rejected the broad no-bond approach, and several federal appeals courts ruled that people who have lived here for years can’t be denied a bond hearing just because of how they entered the country.
What that means for your family is simple: don’t assume your loved one can’t get a bond just because someone at the facility said so. Whether they qualify depends on their specific history and the court handling their case. This is one of the first things a lawyer will check.
How to request a bond hearing
If your loved one is eligible, the next step is a bond hearing in front of an immigration judge. There is no filing fee to ask for one. Your loved one can request it at their first hearing, or a written request can be sent to the immigration court that has their case.
To make the request, you’ll need their full name, their A-number (the eight or nine digit Alien Registration Number on their immigration paperwork), and the name of the facility where they’re being held. A lawyer can file the request and, more importantly, show up prepared to argue for the lowest amount possible.
What the judge looks at
At the hearing, the judge is weighing two things: whether your loved one is a flight risk, and whether they’re a danger to the community. The stronger the ties to home, the better.
That’s where preparation matters. Things that help include proof of how long they’ve lived here, a steady job or a letter from an employer, family members who are citizens or residents, a fixed address, paying taxes, and a clean or minimal record. A good lawyer pulls all of this together into a package that makes it hard for the judge to justify a high bond, or any detention at all.
How much immigration bonds cost
By law, an immigration bond has to be at least $1,500. From there it climbs based on the judge’s read of the case. Many bonds land somewhere between $1,500 and $25,000, and we’ve seen amounts go higher, with some recent requests well above that range.
The number isn’t random. It tracks how risky the judge thinks release is. That’s the whole reason it pays to have someone arguing your side. The difference between a $20,000 bond and a $5,000 bond often comes down to how well the case for release is presented.
Paying the bond, and the bond company option
Whoever pays the bond, called the obligor, has to be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. You pay the full amount to ICE, either at an ICE office or through the government’s online system, and once it’s posted your loved one is released.
If you can’t put up the full amount in cash, a bond company can post it for you. Here’s the tradeoff to understand: the company charges a premium, usually around 15 to 20 percent of the bond, and that premium is not refundable. So on a $10,000 bond, you might pay a company $1,500 to $2,000 that you never get back. Sometimes that’s the only way to get a loved one home quickly. Just go in knowing the money is a fee, not a deposit.
Getting the money back
If your loved one attends every hearing and follows the conditions of release, the bond money is returned at the end of the case. The refund goes to the person who posted it, not the detained person. It can take time, sometimes many months after the case closes, and you’ll need the original receipt. If your loved one misses a hearing or breaks the conditions, the bond can be forfeited, and that money is gone.
Why this is worth a lawyer
You can technically request a bond hearing on your own. But the families who get the best outcomes almost always have someone in their corner who does this every day. A lawyer can confirm whether your loved one is even eligible, challenge a wrongful no-bond or mandatory-detention determination, and build the case that brings the bond amount down. Given how much the rules are shifting right now, having someone who knows the current state of the law is worth a lot.
At Rivas & Associates, we handle deportation defense and habeas corpus cases, and we fight to get our clients released and back with their families. If your loved one is in ICE detention, the sooner you call, the more we can do.
Call us now at (844) 37-RIVAS for a same-day consultation. We’ll tell you whether a bond is possible and what it will take to bring your loved one home.
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Every immigration case is different, and bond rules are changing quickly. Please speak with an attorney about your specific situation.
