1. I have paid my relative’s Cobb County bond- why can’t he get out?
Cobb County has implemented a 287 (g) program. Under this program, state and local law enforcement are authorized to identify, process, and when appropriate, detain people who may have violated the immigration laws. Once you pay the Cobb County bond, your relative will be placed under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. The detainer provides ICE with a period of time to interview and assess the alien. This means that even if you pay the bond, he can’t leave the jail for 48 hours.
2. If I pay the county bond, what will happen?
Your relative should be interviewed by an ICE official in Cobb County within 24 hours of the payment of the county bond. Your relative will be moved to a section of the jail designated for immigrants and will be transferred out of the jail- generally within 48 hours of bond payment. Note that the ICE official may issue an immigration bond – payment of which will result in a release from jail.
3. If I don’t pay the county bond, what will happen?
Your relative will remain in Cobb County until the underlying charges are disposed of. He will remain in the immigration section of the jail and should then be interviewed by an ICE official within 24 hours.
4. How often does ICE pick up detainees from the Jail?
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
5. Where will ICE take my relative?
Cobb County will bus detainees to the Atlanta ICE Office. From there they will be sent to the various detention centers based on their country of origin.
