A group of Southern California clergy members says a fund created to help undocumented immigrants post bond is running dangerously low as bond amounts continue to rise.
Through the CLUE Bond Fund (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), organizers have raised nearly $1 million and helped more than 100 people secure release from immigration detention, reuniting families and allowing immigrants to continue their cases from home.
A man who was detained for six months exclusively told NBC4 that he is home because of the group’s efforts through its bond fund.
“To be there suffering every minute, every hour, every day that passes is torture,” said the man, who chose not to be identified.
The man says his detention left his wife alone, caring for their three children, including newborn twins. After months behind bars, he was finally allowed to post bond, but his family could not afford the $7,000 price tag.
“If it weren’t for CLUE, I don’t know how I would have paid that bond,” said Melanie LeSage. “I think he would have probably still been in there. How am I going to get $7,000 like that?”
LeSage says her husband was detained during a routine ICE check-in and has no criminal convictions.
Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez, one of the fund’s organizers, says families often can’t afford bonds that now sometimes reach tens of thousands of dollars.
“It’s very rare that a family can come up with thousands of dollars,” said Gutierrez. “They’re already dealing with one of their breadwinners being picked up and detained.”
Gutierrez says that’s why the fund exists, but because bonds are being set higher, sometimes in the tens of thousands of dollars, the fund is running dry.
“We had spent through almost a million dollars last year in just four months,” said Gutierrez.