Massachusetts Immigration Lawyer Blog

Boston Deportation Lawyer

Immigration and deportation defense lawyers now have a way to find the location of persons detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by using ICE's new online detention locator system.  If this online tool actually works as intended, this is an extremely useful development, which is long overdue. 

Until now, the location of a ICE immigration detainee was a mystery to everyone--even immigration lawyers.  After being arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE Office of Detention and Removal, the detained immigrant would be placed into a jail, the location of which remained unknown.  Tracking down a detained immigrant involved guesswork and intuition.  The only way I knew to find someone detained by ICE was simply by calling around to the records departments for South Bay (Suffolk County House of Correction), Bristol, Plymouth and the other immigration detention facilities in the Boston area.  So let's hope and pray that this online system works as planned.

Meanwhile, if you have a friend or family member who has been arrested by Immigration, please contact me.  I'd been happy to help you win their release on an immigration bond and to come up with a strategy to help them solve their immigration problem.

In 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement--the agency, which handles immigration bonds and is in charge of deportation--moved its offices from the centrally-located JFK Federal Building in downtown Boston to a remote office park way out in the boonies of Burlington, Massachusetts.

In my years of experience as an immigration lawyer specializing in deportation cases, I've noticed that many of my clients don't have cars and rely on public transportation. My clients need to travel from Boston area to the Burlington, MA immigration office to post immigration bonds or to report in for orders of supervision or orders of recognizance. My immigration clients often ask me how to get to ICE's Burlington office from Boston using public transportation.

The answer is quite simple. Take the MBTA Red Line to Alewife Station. From there, take the 350 Bus to the Burlington Mall, which is located adjacent to the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The schedule for the 350 Bus can be found here.

The address, once again, for ICE in Burlington is:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO)
10 New England Executive Park
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

I hope this information is helpful to you.  Should you need assistance with an immigration case, please call my office at (617) 722-0005 and schedule an immigration consultation to meet with me.

The Immigration Court in Boston, Massachusetts will be closed August 3 - 7, 2009 while the Immigration Judges attend a conference. While the Court is closed, no hearings will be conducted, except emergency bonds, which will be heard telephonically by Immigration Judges who are not Boston Immigration Judges. The Immigration Court is in the process of rescheduling all hearings scheduled for that week.

Although the Immigration Court will be closed, I'll be hard at work. If you need the help of an immigration lawyer, call me at (617) 722-0005 and come see me in my Boston immigration law office.

Boston area residents with final orders of deportation may request a stay of removal with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) by filing Form I-246 at its Burlington, Massachusetts immigration office.  In the past, there had been no filing fee for this immigration application.  But, apparently, the free ride is over.  Effective immediately, a filing fee of $155 must be paid with Form I-246 in cash, money order or cashier's check (no personal checks).

Boston deportation or a removal hearing in Immigration Court often begins with a visit from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE). For the unfamiliar, these are the guys that deport people.  The immigration raid in New Bedford, Massachusetts was a fine example of the handiwork of ICE. If you are a green card holder but have a criminal conviction, you may have to contend with ICE. Overstayed your student (F1) or visitor visa (B1/B2)? ICE is the immigration agency you should fear.

In late 2007, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement moved its Office of Detention and Removal (DRO) from the 17th Floor of the JFK Federal Building in Boston, MA to a new facility in Burlington, Massachusetts.  Their new address is:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO)
10 New England Executive Park
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803
Phone number: 781-359-7500

If a friend or family member gets arrested in Massachusetts and taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents will most like transfer them to the immigration office in Burlington, MA for processing before being moved to an immigration detention center. Immigration bonds are now posted at the ICE Detention and Removal in Burlington, MA and not the JFK Federal Building in Boston.

Recently, with the New England Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA), I toured the new ICE Detention and Removal facility in Burlington. Since my job as an immigration and deportation defense lawyer in Massachusetts is to defend immigrants who ICE has arrested, I was particularly interested to see the ICE office in Burlington first-hand.

My overall impression--ICE means business! For someone like me who fights to protect people from deportation, it was intimidating to realize that so many critical resources have been devoted to ICE's new deportation facility. Its Burlington Massachusetts deportation office is tricked-out with latest state-of-the-art electronics and a "War Room" with 100 cubicles--all filled with immigration officers hard at work figuring out how to arrest and deport people. In terms of detention, ICE's Burlington office has 4 cells, each holding about 25 immigration detainees.

Unless the Obama Administration shifts focus, I fully expect the surge in deportation cases through Massachusetts and New England to continue in 2009 and beyond.

On our tour, the ICE officers were generous hosts. I was impressed by their professionalism. We had an opportunity to meet with Bruce Chadbourne, the Director of ICE Field Office with supervisory responsibilties over Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Director Chadbourne met with us immigration lawyers and informally answered our questions at great length. I came away convinced that the ICE Burlington, MA office is committed to working cooperatively with the Massachusetts immigration attorneys to resolve any issues.

Congratulations! An Immigration Judge in Boston just ordered the release of your friend or loved one with an immigration bond. He or she will be released from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement soon after you post your immigration bond. As an attorney specializing in deportation defense, I routinely represent detained immigrants in Immigration Court in Boston. I can offer you the following suggestions to help make the process of posting an immigration bond a more hassle-free experience.

1. Call the immigration bond officer first at (781) 359-7670.

Before you drive to the immigration office in Burlington, Massachusetts to post your immigration bond, I strongly suggest that you call and speak to the immigration bond officer in charge of your friend or loved one. 781-359-7670 is a phone number that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dedicated exclusively to immigration bond inquiries. All other immigration questions should be directed to the main phone number at 781-359-7500. By calling in advance, you're putting the immigration bond officer on notice that you plan to post the bond. This extra step will give the immigration officer time to locate the file of the person detained and to do other preliminary work. As a result, the immigration bond will be confirmed faster and your friend or loved one will be released with less delay.

2. Who can post an immigration bond?

An immigration bond can only be posted by someone with U.S. citizenship, legal permanent resident (green card) status or other valid US immigration status.

3. What information do I need to post an immigration bond?

You will need the A number (alien registration number) of your friend or loved one and the address where he or she will live after being released from custody.

4. Where do you post an immigration bond in the Boston, Massachusetts area?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO)
10 New England Executive Park
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803
Main number: 781-359-7500
Immigration Bond Inquiries: 781-359-7670

5. When can I post an immigration bond in the Boston?

Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:45 PM (EST). I recommend that you arrive early in the day.

6. What form of payment are accepted for posting an immigration bond?

Immigration bonds must be posted using a bank check or money order made payable to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Do not abbreviate or use acronyms. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must be spelled out in full in your check or money order or your payment will not be accepted. You cannot pay an immigration bond using cash or a personal check.

7. What forms of ID are required for posting an immigration bond?

In order to post an immigration bond, you will need a driver's license, passport, or other government-issued photo ID. You will also need to bring your original Social Security Card or Social Security Form SSA-2458. If you are a US citizen, bring your original certificate of naturalization or US passport. If not, you must bring your alien resident card (green card) or valid, unexpired work permit (EAD card, Employment Authorization Document).