ICE Detention & Bonds

ICE Detention & Bonds

Our Los Angeles and Orange County California ICE Attorneys

Our Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano ICE detention and bonds attorneys will protect your rights if you are detained or arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Every year, we help hundreds of workers and families who are facing deportation charges. We commonly obtain last-minute stays of deportation / removal for clients detained by ICE, and assist in obtaining bond orders for release from custody. By familiarizing yourself with the information below, you can be prepared if you are stopped, detained, or arrested by ICE.

Prepare Yourself, Your Family, and Your Support Network — Download Our Free Immigration Rights Cards

In light of Donald Trump’s new immigration policies, our immigration attorneys at Hill & Piibe want you to know your rights, so you can protect yourself and your family. This information will tell you how to prepare for a possible ICE raid or arrest, and what to do if you are detained. Please also check our blog, our newsletter, and our Facebook page for updates and additional information.

Download Our Free “Prepare, and Know Your Rights” Cards

Keep these in your wallet, give them to friends, family and co-workers. They contain advice on how to prepare, and how to respond if you are the subject of an ICE raid/arrest.

Download Our Free Card to Give to Ice Agents If You Are Arrested/Detained “I Am Exercising My Rights”

Keep these in your wallet, hand them out to family, friends and co-workers. Give this card to the arresting officer so you can remain silent about your immigration status.

Know Your Rights

  1. You do not have to answer any questions about your immigration status.
  2. You do not have to let any police into your home without a warrant signed by a judge—even if they just want to “ask questions.”
  3. You can ask the police to identify the agency they are with: local police, sheriff, ICE, Border Patrol, DHS, etc.
  4. You can ask to speak with your own attorney.
  5. You do not have to sign any documents without speaking to your own attorney.
  6. You can ask for a bond to be released from detention, if you are in an eligible category.

Be prepared, take these steps right now:

  • Gather proof that you have been in the U.S. at least two years: this could include utility bills, credit card and bank statements, insurance policies, school records, etc. Make copies of these documents and carry a copy of at least one of these documents with you at all times, to prove you have been in the U.S. for more than 2 years. Store the originals in a safe place but give a trusted person access to these originals, in case you are detained and need them.
  • Carry the law firm’s business card with you, and write your Alien Number (“A-number”) on it if you have one.
  • Give the law firm’s business cards to your family/support network in case they need to call us to help you– and provide them with your Alien Number (“A-number”) if you have one.
  • Talk to us (free in-person appointments) about any possibilities for you to gain legal status in the U.S.
  • Obtain a copy of your immigration record: Hill & Piibe can do this confidentially for you, without revealing your address and information to the government. Your immigration record can help determine if you are at a higher risk than others for expedited removal or reinstatement of removal.
  • Apply for a green card if you are eligible.
  • Apply for naturalization (citizenship) if you are eligible.
  • Clear up your criminal record—have Hill & Piibe be involved in this, because criminal-immigration law is extremely complex and you don’t want to waste your money getting useless expungements.
  • Prepare a legal document to authorize someone else to care for your children if you are arrested; you also may want a document giving someone else control over your finances if you are arrested.
  • Never carry false documents, and never carry documents from your home country.
  • Do not associate with people or situations that could cause you to be arrested, including persons with deportation orders against them or criminal records, and stay away from ICE raid sites, etc.
  • Put aside money to pay for a detention bond and an attorney’s help, in case you are arrested.

What to Do in Case of Detention / Arrest by ICE

Employers, family members and friends want to know how to help someone they care about if that person is detained. Here’s what happens, and what can be done to help:

Act quickly and have us get involved right away to determine how we can help—some people may be slated for immediate removal and need fast intervention.

We can locate your person in the system, and get information about plans and timeline for possible removal/deportation.

We can speak to the deportation officer and try to stop or delay the deportation.

We can file a stay of removal in some cases.

We can request a bond determination for release and present the facts as strongly as possible.

We can request a Credible Fear Interview to stop removal due to legitimate fear of persecution/harm in the home country.

We can file a motion to reopen and erase an old removal / deportation order if there are supporting grounds.

We can fight the case before an Immigration Judge if your detained person is eligible to see one.

Who’s at risk? Right now, anyone without lawful status in the U.S., but especially those with old deportation orders and criminal records.

ICE is ramping up its ranks and its presence—we hear more and more reports of local targets and raids.

Immigration Bonds / Bail

In some cases, a person may be freed from a detention facility on bail. Our immigration lawyers will attend the bond hearing to ask the judge to allow for their release. We can help you find a bondsman if you cannot pay the amount of the bond.

If Bond is Denied

If bond is denied, your immigration court hearings will be in the detention facility and we will represent you at those hearings. In many cases, people are detained because they have a problem with a current or past criminal offense. In addition to handling your immigration case, we can also defend you in a criminal case, including vacating a criminal record.

You Do Have Rights, Even in Detention

While detained, you have a right to an attorney, but not a free attorney. You have a right to a fair hearing, and you have a right to appeal.

As your immigration attorney we will protect your rights. We have an attorney in immigration court every day of the week helping people fight deportation proceedings or defending people with criminal charges that could hurt their chances to immigrate. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

With offices in Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano, our immigration lawyers serve clients of all nationalities living in the Los Angeles, California area, including Riverside and Bakersfield and all of San Bernardino County, Orange County, San Diego County, Ventura County, and Santa Barbara County.