In response to the rise of ICE raids and aggressive immigration enforcement in 2018, Envision Freedom Fund began paying immigration bonds to maintain one of the few pathways to freedom for people detained by ICE. We have freed 1,000 people from detention with bond payments totaling $8.8 million. 

We anticipate that the need for immigration bond payments will increase in the coming years as federal, state, and local policies indicate that enforcement and detention will rapidly intensify in the New York area and across the country. As the largest bond fund in the U.S. and the only one serving the Greater New York area, we are a critical lifeline to immigrants facing inhumane detention conditions, while also pursuing systemic changes to dismantle oppressive structures. By paying bonds, offering post-release support, and challenging racist systems, we reunite families and strengthen communities.

The bond amounts set by immigration courts are often exorbitant. In New York, they are especially high, with the median bond reaching $10,000— double the nationwide amount. For most detained immigrants and their families, these amounts are impossible to afford, leaving many to languish in detention or enter a predatory contract with a commercial bond company.

Freedom radically improves the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Not only are those who are released reunited with their loved ones, they are also better able to access resources that will help them heal and thrive while they continue to see their case through. 

• 1,000 Freed Individuals: Envision Freedom has reunited 1,000 people with their families by paying over $8.8 million in immigration bonds since 2018.
• Largest Bond Fund in the Nation: We are the largest immigration bond fund in the U.S., providing unique support to the Greater New York area.
• Impact on Case Outcomes: By securing release on bond, we double the likelihood that individuals can remain in the U.S. compared to those who remain detained.
• Life-Saving Intervention: Bond payments not only free individuals from unsafe and traumatic detention conditions but also grant access to vital resources.
• Policy Victories: Envision Freedom’s advocacy contributed to the passage of the Stop Immigration Bond Abuse Act (SIMBAA) and continues to push for transformative legislation like the Dignity Not Detention Act.