Despite warnings that a bond hearing could result in weeks or months of extended detention for Salaheddin Ibrahim, it appears that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities may release him to family and friends on Friday.
But the optimism of observers Thursday has been mixed with fears of what could change over night.
On Thursday, family and friends raised money for the $30,000 bond “very quickly,” said Ahmad Ibrahim, Salaheddin’s brother. And they expected to have him home Thursday night. But paperwork was not completed in time to meet a deadline at the end of the business day in Dallas–a business day that ended sooner than expected.
Some fear had been expressed by the family lawyer and others that once a bond had been set the government would be able to hold Salaheddin over while they filed appeals. But that fear subsided when Judge James Nugent–as reported in the Dallas Morning News–seemed not impressed by alarmist attempts on the part of ICE prosecutors to portray Salaheddin as a risk.
The decisive question is whether the government’s failure to appeal the bond on Thursday will last through Friday morning, when the family returns to complete the bonding process.
Thursday’s tip about imminent release was apparently based on the fact that ICE was not appealing the bond and the anticipation that the family could complete the bonding process before close of business.
One ominous note that plays to the pessimist side is that ICE apparently closed early for bonding business on Thursday at 3pm.
Texas Civil Rights Review 
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