An immigration bond, commonly called an ICE bond, is a form of financial guarantee used by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to secure the timely appearance of an alien in immigration court. The ICE bond is a legally binding contract between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the person posting the bond – typically a family member or close friend of the detained immigrant. It requires payment of a fixed amount for each individual – usually ranging from $1,500 to $25,000 – that must be made in full before being released from custody. Upon receipt of payment, ICE will release the detained immigrant under certain conditions until their scheduled court appearance. It should be noted that an immigration bond does not guarantee entry into the U.S. but rather ensures that those detained will appear in court when ordered. Additionally, while someone can post multiple bonds at once, all bonds will become due and payable immediately if anyone is breached or forfeited. The breach or forfeiture may result in civil fines or criminal charges, depending on the case’s circumstances.
