Claims in lawsuits $300 million in bond payments from immigrants were withheld by ICE.

A lawsuit was filed Tuesday alleging that U.S. immigration officials unlawfully withheld over $300 million in bond payments from tens of thousands of low-income immigrant families and U.S. citizens. According to the online ICE handbook, relatives and friends of those who are detained have the right to receive their money back immediately in certain situations or within 60 days in others after the immigration case is over. However, the lawsuit claims that ICE “regularly fails to return these funds, even when all conditions have been met and proceedings have concluded.” This week’s case was filed on behalf of Douglas Cortez of Uniondale, New York, who was able to get his friend out of jail by posting a $10,000 bond. Although his friend’s proceedings were dismissed in August 2023, Cortez has yet to receive any notification or a reimbursement for the cash deposit he made more than a year later.