OCJF statement on the recent Washington Post piece about ICE’s alleged policy shift

The Orange County Justice Fund (OCJF) is aware of an alleged policy guidance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), first reported by the Washington Post, that would make immigration bond hearings inaccessible for a significant portion of detained immigrants—particularly those who entered the U.S. without inspection. Access to bonds provides community members with access to legal representation and the ability to fight their case from the freedom and safety of their home. By blocking access to bond hearings, ICE is blocking peoples’ access to freedom.

As of March 2024, more than 21,000 of the 36,000 individuals (over 60%) in ICE detention had entered the U.S. without inspection, according to data from TRAC Immigration at Syracuse University.

As the only bond fund provider in Orange County, we are working to quickly understand any policy shifts and support our neighbors in this uncertain landscape. If the Post’s reporting is accurate, the fact that the public only learned about this memo a week after its alleged issuance indicates that ICE prefers to keep it out of the public spotlight—preventing advocates from seeing the full scope of their actions.

When a person is detained by ICE, an immigration judge may set a bond—a price to secure their release while their case proceeds. For the past eight years, our community-based bond fund has allowed detained individuals who cannot afford the cost to reunite with their families and fight their cases from home. The ICE memo has put this community effort at risk.

As things stand today, our bond fund will continue. We will continue to seek clarification on how the ICE memo affects our community and explore additional ways of standing with Orange County’s immigrants and their families. While we navigate this uncertainty together, anyone in need of immediate support can access our legal empowerment resources to learn more.