Southern California faith leaders who banded together to post immigration bonds say their shared fund is close to empty after covering nearly $1 million in costs and helping more than 100 people get out of detention. Organizers warn that bond amounts, sometimes set in the tens of thousands of dollars, are rising faster than donations, leaving families stuck while loved ones sit in custody.
One man who spent six months behind bars is back home because of the CLUE bond fund, according to his wife, Melanie LeSage. She told NBC Los Angeles that the family could not come up with a $7,000 bond after he was detained during a routine ICE check-in despite having no criminal convictions. “If it weren’t for CLUE, I don’t know how I would have paid that bond,” LeSage said. Their situation is one of dozens that organizers say the fund has helped reunite with children and other family members.
Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez, one of the fund’s organizers, told NBC Los Angeles that many families simply cannot find thousands of dollars on short notice and that the CLUE fund is “running dangerously low” as bond amounts climb. “We had spent through almost a million dollars last year in just four months,” Gutierrez said, highlighting how quickly the money disappears.
How the bond fund operates
CLUE’s Detained Immigrant Bond Fund works in partnership with Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). ImmDef identifies detained people who are eligible for release, and CLUE raises and posts bond money for those in Los Angeles and Orange counties. As described by CLUE Justice, the organization also coordinates rapid response networks, courtroom accompaniment, and a welcome network for people as they are released from custody.
County and community resources
The Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs lists the CLUE Detained Immigrant Bond Fund among local resources for people affected by enforcement, according to LA County's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Local guides and media outlets also flag the program as a place to turn, and a resource roundup published by LA Taco points readers to CLUE’s bond fund as somewhere to donate or seek help.
Organizers warn of a cash crunch
Fund organizers say the donations that helped more than 100 people return home will not last forever and are making a public push for more support. CLUE’s website offers details on how to request assistance or contribute to the Detained Immigrant Bond Fund, which organizers say prioritizes cases that come through rapid-response networks and legal partners.
