By Charlotte A. Graham, countyreporter@laurelleadercall.com
Jacobo Diego and his wife, Ramona Estrada, are among hundreds of families to receive assistance from the New York-based National Immigration Bond Fund.
Diego was among nearly 600 workers detained Aug. 25, 2008 when dozens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided Howard Industries’ transformer plant in Laurel. Discovered to be an illegal immigrant, Diego was later arrested and his bond was set at $6,500.
Unable to raise the required funds Estrada sought help from other agencies. One group referred her to the Bond Funds where she received half of the money needed to free her husband.
“We were put in contact with the family by El Pueblo, a local nonprofit based in Biloxi,” said Pat Malone, NIBF’s coordinator of public interest projects. “We provide matching funds. That way we can help more people and the family can also have a stake in the outcome of the case.”
According to the NIBF fact sheet, “by posting half the bond money and then asking the families of the detainees to provide the other half, (NIBF) created a system that ensures the detainees will appear in court and have the opportunity to seek legal counsel.”
Boston resident Robert Hildreth, an international banker, decided to start the fund after the March 7, 2007 raid of a factory in New Bedford, Mass. “Immigration captured a little bit more than 300 workers and sent them to Texas within a 24-hour period. These were Guatemalans.
“I thought that just wasn’t right. All of their lawyers were in Boston. How were they going to get together with their lawyers if they were jailed in Texas?”
Out of his desire to help, Hildreth told the families he would put up half of the money for the bonds if they put up the rest. To his surprise, 34 families took him up on his offer. They came up with $132,000, which meant he had to do the same.
“These were the poorest of the poor and they did it,” he said. “I figured that we should expand the program to include other communities.
Officially organized Aug. 11, 2008, NIBF seeks to reaffirm the values of dignity and due process by helping immigrants detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions post bond quickly to secure a fair hearing in America’s courts. NIBF works with local organizations that represent or assist people arrested by immigration officials. These local organizations submit a request to NIBF on behalf of individuals to receive funds to post bond.
Since opening its doors, NIBF has helped a wide range of people across the country. According to the agency, 100 people have received financial assistance; families in New Bedford, Mass.; Van Nuys and San Francisco, Calif.; Miami, Fla.; Annapolis, Md.; Providence, R.I.; Loveland, Colo.; Asheville, N.C.; Sarita, Texas and Laurel have receive assisted.
Also, $340,803 has been raised through 180 plus donations from 53 communities and 22 states. NIBF loaned out $256,650 in matching bond money, with four people returning a total of $12,145 to the fund when their cases were completed. Bonds range from $1,500 to $20,000
The fact sheets states that the ability to quickly post bonds is critical to ensuring detained workers obtain a fair hearing in court. It allows individuals to establish immigration court jurisdiction in the district where the arrest took place, thus greatly increasing their chances to see a lawyer, adequately defend themselves, and receive the due process considerations they deserve.
“I’m so thankful for what El Pueblo and NIBF did to help my family,” said Estrada. “I don’t know how we would have made it without them.”
For additional information about National Immigration Bond Fund, visit the Web site at www.immigrantbondfund.org.
