Holzbaur Law
How an immigration bond hearing works
A bond hearing is often the one chance to bring someone home while the case continues. We prepare for it like it is the trial, because for the family, it is.
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Holzbaur Law
A bond hearing is often the one chance to bring someone home while the case continues. We prepare for it like it is the trial, because for the family, it is.
An immigration bond is money paid to the government as a promise that a person released from ICE custody will show up for every hearing. Holzbaur Law represents detained people and their families at bond hearings before the Orlando immigration court, and in federal court when a judge says bond is not available.
ICE makes the first decision: it sets a bond amount, or it refuses to set one. If the amount is too high or ICE says no, we ask an immigration judge to review it at a bond redetermination hearing. The judge looks at two things, whether the person is a danger to the community and whether they are a flight risk, and we build the record that answers both: family ties, work history, length of time in the U.S., a place to live, and the strength of the defense in the underlying case.
Not everyone can get a bond hearing. People with certain criminal convictions face mandatory detention, and since 2025 the government has argued that many people who entered without inspection cannot be bonded by an immigration judge at all. When that happens, the fight moves to federal court, where attorney John Holzbaur is admitted and can file a habeas corpus petition asking a federal judge to order a hearing or release.
How immigration bonds work
The legal minimum delivery bond is $1,500. In practice, judges in Florida commonly set $5,000 to $15,000, and higher with any criminal history. The amount is paid in full to ICE, there is no 10% option, and is refunded at the end of the case if every hearing is attended.
The person paying (the obligor) must have lawful status and valid ID. Payment is made online through ICE's CeBONDS system or in person at an ICE ERO office by cashier's check or money order, never cash, and never to the detention facility. We walk the family through it so release is not delayed by paperwork.
Immigration bond companies will post the bond for a non-refundable fee (often 15 to 20%) plus collateral, and many require the person to wear a GPS monitor at the family's expense. Sometimes it is the only option. We explain the real cost before anyone signs.
A judge will usually hear a bond request only once. A second request requires a material change in circumstances. That is why we do not rush into the first hearing unprepared, the evidence packet matters, and so does the timing.
What we do
We pull the record and tell you quickly whether the immigration judge can hear a bond request, whether ICE could release on parole instead, or whether federal court is the path.
Letters from family and employers, proof of address and work, tax records, medical needs, children's documents, and the outline of the defense to removal. We tell the family exactly what to gather and by when.
John appears before the Orlando immigration court, usually by video for detained cases, argues for release and for the lowest amount the law supports, and responds to whatever ICE raises.
If bond is granted, we guide the payment so the person walks out the same or next day. If it is denied, we evaluate an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals or a habeas petition in federal court.
Here in North Florida
Bond hearings for people held in Baker County are heard by the Orlando immigration court. Bond payments go to ICE, not to the jail. And when the immigration court cannot act, the federal courthouse in downtown Jacksonville can.
Hears detained cases from both Baker County facilities, most by video. Scheduling is usually one to three weeks after a request is filed.
Online through CeBONDS, or in person at an ICE ERO office during business hours. Release typically follows within hours once ICE confirms payment at the facility.
When a bond hearing is denied as a matter of law, a habeas corpus petition in the Middle District of Florida asks a federal judge to order one. John is admitted to practice there.
Questions
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Leave your name and a phone number, and we will call you. Please do not include an A-number, a date of birth, or case details in this form. We answer in English or Spanish, usually the same business day.
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Free consultation. We will tell you if a bond hearing is possible and what it will take.
Serving Jacksonville, Baker County, and North Florida, including NAS Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport, and the Middle District of Florida.