Detansyon ak Kosyon
Yon moun ou renmen ICE te pran li. Ou pa konnen ki kote li ye oswa ki jan pou fè li soti. Nou jwenn li, nou vizite li, e nou goumen pou mennen li lakay pandan ka li avanse.
Family Member Detained?
If a loved one has been taken into ICE custody, time is critical. We can help locate them, assess their case, and fight for their release.
How We Seek Release
ICE wants to hold them. We want them home. Here's every tool we use to make that happen.
Bond Hearings
Your loved one shouldn't have to sit in a cell while their case drags on. We prepare and argue the bond request—showing the judge they'll show up for court and they're not dangerous.
- Build the strongest case for release
- Letters from family, employers, community
- Show they're not a flight risk
- Argue in front of the judge
Habeas Corpus Petitions
Bond denied? No bond available because of 'mandatory detention'? We take it to federal court. When someone is held, we review the custody history and whether a federal court challenge is available. Sometimes the only remaining option is asking a federal judge to order release.
- Federal court when immigration court fails
- Challenge illegal detention
- Constitutional rights arguments
- Emergency motions when it can't wait
Custody Redetermination
Things change. New evidence shows up. The first hearing didn't go well. We can ask for another shot at bond. Sometimes you just need a second chance with better preparation.
- Changed circumstances arguments
- New evidence presentation
- Re-argue flight risk
- Better documentation this time
ICE Check-In Representation
ICE check-ins are terrifying. You walk in not knowing if you'll walk out. We go with you. If they try to take you, we're already there fighting. Don't go alone.
- We come with you to the appointment
- Prepare you for their questions
- Push back against detention
- If they take you, we're already on it
What the Judge Wants to Know
Bond comes down to two questions. We prepare evidence that answers both.
Will They Show Up?
The judge wants to know: if we let them out, will they come back for court dates? We present evidence of their ties here—family, job, home, community.
Favorable Factors
Are They Dangerous?
Criminal history gets scrutinized. But context matters—how long ago, how serious, what's happened since. We tell the full story, not just the charges.
Favorable Factors
When Immigration Court Isn't Enough
The immigration judge says no bond. Or there's no bond hearing available under INA § 236(c) "mandatory detention." ICE wants to hold them indefinitely. That's when we go to federal court and file a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, asking a federal judge to overrule it.
The Supreme Court in Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001), held that indefinite detention raises serious constitutional concerns. We rely on this precedent in habeas petitions for people who have been held for months, even years. The Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause still applies in immigration detention. Sometimes we have to remind the government of that.
Featured in Media
"U.S. Agrees to Free Stowaway"
Coverage of habeas corpus litigation by Joshua Bardavid on behalf of a long-term immigration detainee.
— New York Times
"Close Call for Haitian Caught in Web"
Coverage of the habeas corpus petition Bardavid filed for a client facing a planned deportation.
— New York Times
Where We Go
We visit detention facilities regularly. If your loved one is held at one of these places—or anywhere else—we can help.
They Took Someone You Love
You're scared. You're angry. You don't know what to do. Call us. We'll find out where they are, what's happening, and start fighting to bring them home.