KENT COUNTY, Mich. — An immigration relations group has kicked off fundraising efforts for the community's immigration bond fun.
The Kent County I-BOND Fund held a kick-off event Tuesday at Taquería El Rincón Mexicano in Grand Rapids.
The Kent County I-BOND Fund, which stands for Immigrant Bond for Our Neighbors’ Defense. is an immigrant bond fund for people from Kent County who are facing detention on immigration-related charges.
According to the group, immigration-related bonds are usually set at $5,000 or more, and $10,000 is the median amount in Michigan. Raising this much money is often extremely difficult or impossible for a detained person or their family. Organizers of the bond say many families lose jobs, income and support while the bread-winner is behind bars.
The community-supported bond fund pays partial or full amounts of the bond needed to release immigrants to return to their jobs and spend time with their families before their court date, which is often a long time off. The bond does not simply postpone the inevitable.
The Kent County I-BOND Fund was created in 2017 at the request of the impacted community. You can donate to the fund here.
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