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. First, check that a judge can set bond for your person.
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. Check if bond may be an option, or read 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
Start with the regional listings below. If your area is not listed, check the National Bail Fund Network’s immigration bond directory. A fund may cover the place where your person lives, the place where they are detained, or both. Confirm which rule applies before sending an application.
- 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.
Regional immigration bond funds
These are starting points, not a complete list. Coverage and criteria below are what each linked source publishes. Capacity is unconfirmed unless a fund tells you directly that it can help. An application being online does not mean money is available or that a request will be approved.
Official pages last checked . Recheck the fund’s page and ask about current capacity before relying on a listing.
California — Border Angels: Familias Reunidas
- Coverage: People in ICE detention centers in California. The program names Otay Mesa, Adelanto, Golden State and Imperial Regional among facilities it has served.
- Published criteria: No criminal record; assistance up to $5,000. Confirm the current criteria and how any remaining bond amount would be covered.
- Capacity: Unconfirmed. A public application is linked; available funds and wait times are not stated.
- Last checked: . Program details and application.
Colorado — Immigrant Freedom Fund
- Coverage: The ICE detention facility in Aurora, Colorado.
- Published criteria: The fund says it considers time sensitivity and whether money is available when choosing between requests. Its application asks for the information needed to pay a bond.
- Capacity: Unconfirmed. No current balance, wait time or guaranteed payment is published.
- Last checked: . Fund and request form; criteria.
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin — Midwest Immigration Bond Fund
- Coverage: Residents of these five states, or people who intend to live there after release, wherever they are detained. The intake page also covers people detained in Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota or Wisconsin, regardless of residency.
- Published criteria: Bond must already be granted. The fund’s FAQ says it has no other eligibility requirements beyond its service area.
- Capacity: Unconfirmed. Applications are reviewed in order received; payment and a release date are not guaranteed.
- Last checked: . Current intake criteria and application; FAQ.
New Mexico and Texas — Fronterizx Fianza Fund
- Coverage: The National Bail Fund Network lists this fund for New Mexico and Texas. Contigo Immigrant Justice now runs the fund. Its program page does not specify which facilities or residents it covers.
- Published criteria: Facility rules, residency rules and a bond limit are not stated on the program page. Ask the fund whether your person qualifies.
- Capacity: Unconfirmed. A bond intake form is linked; available funds and wait times are not stated.
- Last checked: . Program and intake form; network listing.
New York — Envision Freedom Fund
- Coverage: Listed under New York in the National Bail Fund Network directory. The application page does not state a facility or residency restriction; ask whether it covers your person.
- Published criteria: The person is in immigration detention and has been granted a bond they cannot afford.
- Capacity: Unconfirmed. The request form is published; approval and timing are not guaranteed.
- Last checked: . Request assistance and read the scam warning; network listing.
Washington and the Pacific Northwest — Fair Fight Bond Fund
- Coverage: Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s fund prioritizes people detained in Washington or the Pacific Northwest.
- Published criteria: A bond has been granted and the person cannot afford it. Other priorities include urgent medical needs, primary caregivers and people detained for more than three months.
- Capacity: Unconfirmed. The fund says its resources are limited and it cannot cover every request.
- Last checked: . Criteria and application.
National referrals if your state or facility is not listed
The National Bail Fund Network referral form accepts requests for people held in an ICE facility in the United States. A bond must already be set and you must know the amount. Submit the form once. The network tries to find a fund that can help, but says resources often do not meet demand; a referral is not a promise of payment.
Earlier listing: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights — bond assistance unverified
This page previously listed Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights for national bond help. Its former website now redirects to the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center. We could not verify a current public immigration-bond application, coverage, criteria or capacity from the official pages checked on . Its U.S. advocacy and litigation page describes that work; it does not confirm bond-payment availability. Use the national referral form above to look for a fund, rather than relying on this earlier listing as an offer to pay a bond.
When more than one fund may help
If you ask more than one fund for help, tell each one when another fund or family member starts a payment. The Midwest Immigration Bond Fund warns that two payment processes at once can delay release. Read its payment FAQ.
Use the fund’s own website to make contact. Keep the scam warning above in mind: Envision Freedom Fund specifically warns that it never charges fees or asks for transfers through Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria or Zelle. Read its warning.
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. These listings are not endorsements or evidence of a relationship with Vadens.
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.