Best Friend Facing Criminal Charges + Ice Hold

Location: Teton County, Idaho.

I (30,M) have been living with my best friend (29,M) up until this past Sunday. Early Sunday morning he was arrested at a party and is being charged with Battery(Misdemeanor), Battery Against an Officer (Felony), and Resisting Arrest (Misdemeanor).

He is currently being held in a county jail one county away as that is apparently standard procedure here in rural Idaho. He’s had his arraignment, was set a $20,000 bail (not paid as of now), and is scheduled for court this upcoming week.

Now for the immigration stuff - the ICE hold was placed on him within 24 hours of his arrest. If he is deported this will be his second time. I’ve told him the best course of action is to self deport as soon as possible to Mexico. Please tell me if I am mistaken.

My questions are:

- how does facing criminal charges couple with imminent deportation?

- will posting bail immediately place him into ICE custody?

- if the charges are reduced and the penalties are fines rather than a prison sentence, would ICE still come for him?

- if the charges are dropped or he is found not guilty (seems very unlikely), would ICE still come for him?

Extra facts:

- this is his first time being charged with any of these types of charges

- he was did not know any of his charges prior to arraignment and I do not think he was told what he was being arrested for at the time of arrest. Discovery will tell

- he has had prior convictions in another state when he was a teenager but they were not for these types of crimes. I do not know what they were for as he has never wanted to share that time of his life with me.

- he was black out drunk at the time of his arrest

I can’t get a clear timeline of what will happen to him if he is convicted vs. not convicted for these crimes. I have been trying to find his public defenders details but he hasn’t been assigned one yet. I’m praying the Battery Against an Officer can be lowered to Disorderly Conduct or something of that sort. I am also hoping that Discovery might show ANYTHING that can work for him positively. But I am not sure what to tell him to look out for or ask about to his defender. Idek what he intends to plea or if he should wait to review Discovery to make his decision.

It’s taken me almost a week to write this because I truly have been paralyzed with grief and I cannot stop crying. I love him so much and I just don’t know what to say to him or how to help. I am truly lost and completely alone. This is my 3rd friend facing deportation within a year and my mourning hasn’t stopped. I’m a citizen and really don’t know this process and have never faced what he is facing. Any replies are beyond appreciated.