Leaders of a local immigrant advocacy group are trying to help suspected illegal immigrants arrested in work-site raids access bail money.
CASA de Maryland is working with the National Immigrant Bond Fund to help immigrants detained in raids get out of jail and fight the charges against them. The fund has already put up the cash to help free 10 of the 46 people detained by federal immigration authorities during a June raid on an Annapolis painting company. Their bail amounts ranged from $3,500 to $20,000. Detainees were asked to provide half the money themselves.
Robert Hildreth, the founder and president of International Bank Services Inc., a Boston-based company that trades and services international bank loans, has put up most of the $200,000 in the fund.
He helped 40 of 200 immigrants caught in a New Bedford, Mass., raid last year make bail because, he said, “Something had to be done to get clients and their lawyers together.”
“We were able to make a difference in the lives of 40 people, so we thought, let’s go national,” Hildreth said. “As soon as you are bonded, you can start your legal defense.”
CASA spokeswoman Kim Propeack acknowledged the effort requires a lot of coordination, saying CASA was heavily involved in helping families track the locations of Annapolis detainees and coordinate bail efforts.
“This would be nearly impossible without an active group on the ground,” Propeack said. Organizers are trying to locate friendly organizations in all 50 states that can be called on to help.
Brad Botwin, leader of anti-illegal immigration group Help Save Maryland, said he was upset that CASA, which receives 45 percent of its funding from governments, was devoting time to helping alleged illegal immigrants make bail.
“Why should citizens give [CASA] a nickel?” Botwin asked. “Why do Gov. [Martin] O’Malley, Montgomery County Executive [Ike] Leggett and Prince George’s County Executive [Jack] Johnson fund this group again and again? This is another slap in the face to the citizens of Maryland and this country.”
Group organizers hope to raise $300,000 more for the fund. They say no immigrant charged with other criminal offenses will be eligible for assistance and that none of those helped so far has missed a court date.
