Regardless as to whether someone is arrested by the local police, the U.S. Marshal Service (USMS) or Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE), one of the first questions people often relates to how much it will cost to get them out.
In some ways, immigration bonds are similar to state and federal bail bonds. For example, in all three instances, when a bond is posted, the detained person can leave the jail (or ICE detention center) and resume their day-to-day life while their case is being decided. On the other hand, the cost to arrange state, federal and immigration bonds, varies.
Cost for bail bonds versus immigration bonds
Most state bail bonds cost between 8% and 10% of the defendant’s total bail amount. Federal bail bonds, which are needed when someone is accused of breaking a federal law (such as smuggling drugs across the border), cost between 12 and 15%. Immigration bonds, on the other hand, are transacted at 15%.
What this means, is that if someone is being held at an ICE detention center and their bail has been set at $15,000, the bondsman’s fee will be $2,250. Similar to state and federal bail bonds, the fee you pay to the bondsman is considered to be earned in full at the time the bond is posted. It is non-refundable no matter what happens with the immigrant’s case.
It’s also worth noting that immigration bail bond amounts are set by the court, and the judges have a lot of discretion as to how high (or low) they set bond. According to a 2019 article by Axios, in 2018, the median immigration bail bond amount was set at $8,000. Using this example, the fee to purchase an immigration bond would be $1,200.
Other things to know
When you contact an immigration bail bondsman they’ll ask if you have collateral to secure the bond. All immigration bail bonds require collateral- and most companies require that collateral be posted in the form of real property (ie: you’ll be asked if you or someone you know is willing to put up their home.)
The process of putting up a house or condo as collateral is fairly simple. The bondsman will ask the homeowners to sign a deed of trust, which is a legal document that allows for a lien to be put against the property. If the detainee’s bond is set at $20,000, a $20,000 lien will be put against the home. The deed of trust will need to be notarized by a notary public, however, many immigration bail bonds agents are also licensed notaries.
Once the documents are signed, the lien will be filed with the county recorder and it will remain in play until the immigrant’s case is over. When the case concludes, and the bondsman is no longer liable to make sure the immigrant appears in court, the lien will be released.
Do you need help getting someone out of an ICE detention center? If so, we can help. Call Bail Bond Professionals today to get started.
