Detained family member — how do bond hearings work?

Bond hearings evaluate two things: (1) Is the person a flight risk? (2) Are they a danger to the community? You need to build a packet that addresses both. Bring: proof of US ties (USC family members, US-born children, length of residency), proof of employment / community involvement (pay stubs, tax returns, employer letters, church letters), proof of an address where he'd live (lease or family letter), letters of support from community members, any criminal record certified disposition. The judge sets a bond amount in cash; family or a bonding company posts it; he's released. Get a removal-defense attorney for the bond hearing — they know what each IJ wants to see and the cost-to-outcome ratio is very high.