Non-Citizens — Defendants & Cosigners
I Work With Non-Citizens. Here Is What You Need to Know.
Chad Conley has bonded out non-citizens for years — as defendants and with non-citizen cosigners. He is one of the few bondsmen in Southern California still willing to do it. But there are real risks involved, and you need to understand them before you sign anything.
Yes, Chad Will Work With You
Legal resident, work visa, DACA, expired papers, undocumented — call Chad and tell him the truth about your situation. He has worked with all of it. He is not going to turn you away because of your immigration status. What he is going to do is ask you some direct questions, listen to your answers, and figure out how to make the bond work. That is his job and he takes it seriously.
Citizens, legal residents, work visas, expired papers — call Chad. Be straight with him. He will work with you.
Chad Explains It In His Own Words
Chad explains how he helps families regardless of immigration status — defendants and cosigners alike.
Two Real Situations You Need to Understand
These are not hypothetical warnings. These are things that have actually happened. Chad is telling you about them because the person most at risk in both situations was not the defendant — it was the cosigner. The family member who signed their name.
He Was Afraid to Go to Court. His Cosigner Lost Everything.
Chad bonded out a man with two cases totaling $40,000. The defendant was undocumented and convinced himself that if he walked into that courtroom, ICE would be waiting and he would be deported on the spot. He kept canceling. He kept pushing it off. Chad and his team worked with him, tried to help him understand his options, tried to get him in front of the judge. But he let his cases go to fugitive status for too long. At that point Chad had no choice — the bond had to be revoked. The cosigner, a woman named Maria, is now facing wage garnishments. She may lose her vehicle. She put up her pink slip as collateral because she trusted that the defendant would show up. He did not show up — not because he was deported, but because he was afraid. That fear cost her everything she put on the line.
The cosigner is the one who pays when a defendant does not appear. If you are the defendant and you are afraid to go to court, talk to Chad before you disappear. There may be options. Going fugitive is not one of them.
ICE Picked Him Up the Same Day. Here Is What Happened Next.
Chad posted bond for a defendant who was picked up by ICE and deported almost immediately after release. The defendant did not fail to appear by choice — he was in federal custody and then out of the country. But the county court still moved to forfeit the bond. Chad's office needed official documentation from ICE confirming the deportation in order to fight the forfeiture — and getting that paperwork was a fight in itself. Neither ICE nor the county made it easy. The family members who cosigned that bond were on the hook while Chad's team worked to get the forfeiture reversed.
When ICE deports a defendant, the bond does not automatically go away. But there is a legal process to get it exonerated — and Chad knows how to work it. Read the section below.
If ICE Deports the Defendant — There Is a Process
When a government agency — ICE — takes physical custody of the defendant and removes them from the country, the bondsman is in a position they have no control over. The law recognizes this. There is a legal process to get the bond exonerated by the court on the grounds that a government agency took the body and placed it somewhere the bondsman cannot legally retrieve it. Chad works through this process with the cosigner. It is not automatic and it is not instant — it requires documentation, court filings, and follow-through. But it is a real path, and Chad pursues it. If you are a cosigner and the defendant was deported by ICE, call Chad immediately. Do not assume the bond is lost. The sooner you call, the sooner the process can begin.
Cosigner: if the defendant was deported by ICE, call Chad right away. There is a process to get the bond exonerated. Do not wait.
- 1Call Chad as soon as you learn the defendant was taken by ICE
- 2Chad's office begins gathering documentation — ICE custody records, deportation confirmation, court case status
- 3Chad files the appropriate motion with the court to exonerate the bond based on government custody
- 4Chad works with the cosigner through every step of the process — you are not navigating this alone
Why Other Bondsmen Are Saying No
The two situations described above are not rare. They happen regularly across Southern California, and they are why a growing number of bail bond companies have stopped writing bonds for undocumented defendants entirely. The financial risk to the bondsman is real. The legal fight to reverse a forfeiture after a deportation is expensive and uncertain. Chad has not stopped. But he needs you to understand why honesty is not optional — it is what makes it possible for him to keep saying yes when everyone else is saying no.
Why Honesty Is the Only Thing Chad Asks For
Chad is not asking about your immigration status to judge you or turn you away. He is asking because the answer changes how he structures the bond, what collateral he needs, and what he can realistically do to protect you and your cosigner if something goes wrong. If you tell him you have papers and you do not, or you tell him the defendant has a green card and they do not, you have put your cosigner in a position they did not agree to. That is not fair to them. Tell Chad the truth — whatever it is — and he will tell you straight whether he can help and what it will take. The fastest way to get someone out of jail is to be completely honest from the first phone call.
Do not lie to protect yourself. Lying puts your cosigner at risk, not just you.
What Chad May Ask For
Depending on the situation, Chad may ask for one or more of the following. This is not a rejection — it is how he makes the bond work when the risk profile is higher.
- An additional cosigner with stronger ties to the community or documented status
- Proof of where the defendant lives — utility bills, lease, mail
- Photos of the defendant's vehicle and proof of ownership
- Proof of employment or income — pay stubs, employer contact
- Documentation of family ties in the area — children in school, property, long-term residence
- Additional collateral depending on bond amount and risk
None of this is unusual. Chad asks for the same things from any cosigner when the bond carries higher risk. The goal is always the same — get the defendant out and make sure everyone who signed is protected.
Call Chad. Tell Him the Truth. He Will Work With You.
Chad answers his own phone. Tell him the situation — all of it — and he will tell you exactly what he can do.
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Not legal advice. The information on this page is based on Chad Conley's 15+ years as a licensed bail bondsman, plus additional experience as an investigator and bounty hunter, and is intended to help families understand the general process. It is not legal advice, and Chad Conley is not an attorney. Every case is different. If you have legal questions about your specific situation, please consult a licensed attorney.