Bond funds.
Nonprofit funds that post immigration bond for people who cannot afford it. Most are regional, most have more requests than money, and each sets its own rules. They are worth asking — and worth asking early.
What a bond fund does
When an immigration bond has been set and a family cannot raise the amount, a bond fund may post it on their behalf. Some act as the obligor themselves, which also solves the problem of needing a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to sign for it.
Because immigration bond is returned at the end of a case where the conditions were met, a fund’s money can be recycled: what comes back goes out again for someone else. That is why these funds work at all, and also why they care a great deal about people attending their hearings.
Before you look for one
Two things have to be true before a bond fund can help.
- A bond has to exist. For a large number of detained people no bond is possible at all, because of the law they are held under. Start with can a detained person ask for a bond hearing?
- You need the A-number, the facility and the bond amount. No fund can begin without them. See how to find someone in ICE detention.
What to expect
- Most funds are local. They cover particular states, counties, or a specific detention facility. A national fund is the exception.
- Capacity runs out. Funds are frequently unable to take new cases for a period. This is not a judgement about a case; it means the money is committed.
- Each has its own criteria. Some prioritise people with no other options, medical needs, or family in the area. Some have caps on the bond amount they will post.
- Apply to more than one. And keep pursuing a lower bond amount in parallel — where an immigration judge has jurisdiction, a further redetermination can be sought on changed circumstances.
- A legitimate fund never asks you for a fee. If money is being requested from you, it is not a bond fund.
How to find one near you
Local funds appear and close faster than any static list can track, so the reliable route is through organisations that maintain the connections:
- Detention Watch Network — a national coalition. Their member organisations are the fastest way to find who is active near a specific facility.
- Freedom for Immigrants — runs visitation networks and has long-standing links to community bond funds.
- Immigration Law Help — legal providers by state, who generally know the local funds and can refer.
- Ask the immigration lawyer or accredited representative on the case. They will usually know which funds are currently taking requests in that jurisdiction, which is exactly the fact a website cannot keep current.
National organisations
These work on immigration bond nationally or across large regions. Check their current criteria and capacity directly — both change.
- Envision Freedom Fund — posts bond for people in immigration detention and supports them after release.
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights — runs bail and bond work as part of its programme on detention.
Vadens is not affiliated with any fund and does not receive, hold or move money. We cannot post a bond, refer you to the front of a queue, or tell you whether a particular fund will take a case. If you run a fund and the details here are wrong, or you would rather not be listed, please say so.
If no fund can help
- Ask the lawyer about a further bond redetermination on changed circumstances — a new sponsor, stable housing, a medical condition, or charges dropped.
- Ask specifically about release on recognisance or release on conditions such as check-ins or electronic monitoring. These do not require money and are common release postures.
- Read how do I pay an immigration bond? before raising money any other way — particularly the section on scams, which target exactly this moment.