A Guide to Obtaining Release from Immigration Detention

Please note: This resource has NOT been updated to incorporated changes to detention law made by the 2025 Laken Riley Act.

The purpose of this guide is to provide practitioners with a comprehensive resource for representing adult clients detained by DHS in immigration court bond proceedings. The guide covers the following topics:

• An overview of immigration detention
• The different legal authorities governing immigration detention and corresponding strategies for seeking release
• An overview of bond hearing procedures in immigration court
• The nuts and bolts of preparing for and representing a client during an immigration court bond hearing
• Appeals of immigration court bond decisions to the Board of Immigration Appeals.