You or someone you know has been granted a bond – congrats! It can be important to get the detained person out of immigration detention as quickly as possible. However, figuring out how to actually pay the bond can be difficult. Below are answers to commonly asked questions regarding how to pay an immigration bond, specifically in Minnesota.
1. Who Can Pay the Bond?
In order to pay a bond, the person must be a Lawful Permanent Resident or U.S. citizen. It’s recommended that they speak English in order to read the bond contract.
2. Can Someone Help Me Pay the Bond?
There are various companies that assist people in paying a bond, and likely charge a fee for this service. It is important to understand the terms of the agreement with any bond company you may choose to hire. A local example is as follows:
Federal Immigration Bonding
612-388-1356 (Twin Cities)
www.immigrationbonding.com
3. Where Do I Pay?
The address to pay a bond in Minnesota is as follows:
Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Bldg.,
1 Federal Drive, Suite 1601
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
The office is open Monday to Friday.
4. When Can I Pay?
Currently, the bond office is open from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. It’s recommended to get to the office as early as you can, because the process of paying a bond can take 2-3 hours, sometimes even longer.
5. How Can I Pay?
Bonds must be paid with either a money order from a U.S. post office or a cashier’s check. The money order or cashier’s check should be made payable to: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
You cannot pay with a personal check or money order that is not from a U.S. post office. The payor will need to know the detained person’s full name, as well as their Alien (“A”) Number.
6. What Should I Bring?
In addition to bringing the payment, the person paying must bring a valid form of government-issued identification, as well as their social security card. The person paying must also know the address of where the person detained will live after release.
7. Where Does the Detained Person Get Released?
When the bond is paid and processed, if the person is at a local jail (Sherburne, Carver, Freeborn), they will go to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Fort Snelling, MN to be released. They will be released in the same building that you pay the bond. If the person is not at a local jail, you will need to communicate with Immigration to figure out where the detained person will be released.
8. Who Can Pick the Detained Person Up?
Because the detained person will be released at Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which is a federal building and requires government-issued identification for entrance, it is advised that only people with lawful status pick up the detained person.
9. What Should Be My Next Step?
The payor, as well as the person to be released, must follow instructions from the immigration officer instructions. The person to be released may be required to do ISAP (a form of electronic monitoring).
10. See How We Can Help!
Come see our office to discover possible immigration options going forward, or with any questions other you may have.