With ICE raiding communities across the United States, people are left scrambling dealing with the political, personal, and economic aftermath.One important front in the struggle for human rights is ensuring access to a fair legal process to help avoid deportation and stop the fragmentation of families.

Legal experts across the nation agree that the best chance immigrant detainees have to avoid deportation is to post bond immediately and contest their case in the courts. Posting bond sets jurisdiction in the district where the arrest took place, thereby avoiding ICE’s rapid transfer of detainees outside the district. Posting bond also increases the detainee’s ability to argue his/her case for a stay of deportation before a judge. Lastly detainees able to post bond have better access to community resources and family support.

With this in mind, the American Immigration Lawyers Association has created a National Immigrant Bond Fund.

The goals of National Immigrant Bond Fund are to:

Assist immigrants caught in raids to post bond so that they can assert their right to legal counsel and due process in court Build public opposition against raids and support for immigration reform by focusing on the lack of rights afforded detainees. Support local community’s efforts to respond effectively to ICE enforcement actions and raise public awareness of the need for detained immigrants to access due process. 100% of your tax deductible contribution will go directly to an immigrant seeking due process in our courts (families of detained immigrants will be required to contribute towards the posting of bond). Released bonds will be returned to the Fund to assist other detained immigrants.

The National Immigrant Bond Fund is a fiscal project of the Public Interest Projects, Inc. (PIP). PIP strengthens the work of philanthropic institutions, nonprofit groups and other public interest organizations sharing a vision of a society that ensures justice, dignity and opportunity for all people.

Via / Zuky