Trump targets immigration attorneys
What happened
- On May 26, the Trump administration directed ICE attorneys to pursue immigration lawyers accused of filing fraudulent asylum claims, widening enforcement beyond migrants. - A DHS memo told ICE lawyers to aggressively pursue administrative fraud cases, while Tacoma-tested no-bond detention has already triggered tens of thousands of lawsuits. - The next test is in federal courts and immigration courts, where detainees, ICE lawyers and private attorneys are contesting bond and fraud cases.
Why it matters
The Trump administration is widening its immigration crackdown to include the lawyers who represent asylum seekers, while also defending detention policies that have already produced a wave of legal challenges. A Department of Homeland Security directive dated May 26 told Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys to pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum claims. At the same time, the administration’s no-bond detention policy — a practice that had already taken hold in Tacoma, Washington — is facing appellate setbacks and mounting litigation. In California, dozens of people are also seeking damages over raids, shootings, wrongful detention and trauma tied to federal immigration operations. ### What did DHS tell ICE lawyers to do? A May 26 DHS directive instructed ICE attorneys to aggressively pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum applications, according to Bloomberg Law and CBS News. The order expands enforcement from migrants and employers to the attorneys and legal representatives who help prepare asylum filings. CBS News reported that the memo came from DHS’s top lawyer and framed the move as part of a broader push to speed removals, expand enforcement and challenge what the administration sees as abuse of the asylum system. Bloomberg Law reported the directive specifically targeted lawyers accused of filing false applications in immigration court. ### How unusual is it for immigration lawyers to become the target? ICE attorneys have long challenged individual asylum claims, but the new directive shifts attention to the legal infrastructure around those claims. (news.bloomberglaw.com) The Hill, citing the same policy move, reported DHS was telling ICE to craft policies to crack down on immigration attorneys if they helped file fraudulent asylum applications. The administration has already been pressing immigration courts in other ways. (cbsnews.com) CBS News reported in December that ICE attorneys had filed more than 8,000 requests to dismiss asylum claims by invoking deportation agreements with third countries, and later reported that more than 12,000 people abandoned their asylum cases or left voluntarily as that campaign expanded. ### Why does Tacoma keep coming up in the bond fight? Tacoma, Washington, became an early test site for the no-bond approach now being fought nationwide. (thehill.com) ABC News and Associated Press reporting said immigration judges at the Northwest ICE Processing Center began denying bond to many detainees early this decade, years before the Trump administration adopted the same legal theory more broadly. (cbsnews.com) A federal appeals court rejected the administration’s no-bond policy this month after two other appeals courts had agreed with it, ABC News reported, setting up what the report described as a likely Supreme Court showdown. The AP report said the policy change since July had unleashed tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging unconstitutional confinement. ### What are the damage claims over raids and shootings? (abcnews.com) The Los Angeles Times reported on May 26 that dozens of U.S. citizens and immigrants are seeking millions of dollars in damages over immigration raids, shootings, wrongful detention and trauma allegedly caused by federal agents. The cases include claims of excessive force and mistaken detention during enforcement actions. (abcnews.com) Those claims add a second legal front to the administration’s enforcement agenda. One track runs through immigration court, where ICE lawyers are being told to pursue fraud cases and defend detention practices. The other runs through civil litigation, where people swept up in raids are asking federal agencies to pay damages for alleged abuses. That combination is likely to keep the next phase of the fight in court filings, bond hearings and administrative proceedings involving DHS, ICE, detainees and immigration attorneys. (msn.com) (news.bloomberglaw.com)
Key numbers
- On May 26, the Trump administration directed ICE attorneys to pursue immigration lawyers accused of filing fraudulent asylum claims, widening enforcement beyond migrants.
- A Department of Homeland Security directive dated May 26 told Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys to pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum claims.
- A May 26 DHS directive instructed ICE attorneys to aggressively pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum applications, according to Bloomberg Law and CBS News.
- (abcnews.com) The Los Angeles Times reported on May 26 that dozens of U.S.
What happens next
- A Department of Homeland Security directive dated May 26 told Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys to pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum claims.
- A May 26 DHS directive instructed ICE attorneys to aggressively pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum applications, according to Bloomberg Law and CBS News.
- The order expands enforcement from migrants and employers to the attorneys and legal representatives who help prepare asylum filings.
Quick answers
What happened in Trump targets immigration attorneys?
On May 26, the Trump administration directed ICE attorneys to pursue immigration lawyers accused of filing fraudulent asylum claims, widening enforcement beyond migrants. A DHS memo told ICE lawyers to aggressively pursue administrative fraud cases, while Tacoma-tested no-bond detention has already triggered tens of thousands of lawsuits. The next test is in federal courts and immigration courts, where detainees, ICE lawyers and private attorneys are contesting bond and fraud cases.
Why does Trump targets immigration attorneys matter?
The Trump administration is widening its immigration crackdown to include the lawyers who represent asylum seekers, while also defending detention policies that have already produced a wave of legal challenges. A Department of Homeland Security directive dated May 26 told Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys to pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum claims. At the same time, the administration’s no-bond detention policy — a practice that had already taken hold in Tacoma, Washington — is facing appellate setbacks and mounting litigation. In California, dozens of people are also seeking damages over raids, shootings, wrongful detention and trauma tied to federal immigration operations. What did DHS tell ICE lawyers to do? A May 26 DHS directive instructed ICE attorneys to aggressively pursue administrative fraud cases against immigration lawyers accused of filing false asylum applications, according to Bloomberg Law and CBS News. The order expands enforcement from migrants and employers to the attorneys and legal representatives who help prepare asylum filings. CBS News reported that the memo came from DHS’s top lawyer and framed the move as part of a broader push to speed removals, expand enforcement and challenge what the administration sees as abuse of the asylum system. Bloomberg Law reported the directive specifically targeted lawyers accused of filing false applications in immigration court. How unusual is it for immigration lawyers to become the target? ICE attorneys have long challenged individual asylum claims, but the new directive shifts attention to the legal infrastructure around those claims. (news.bloomberglaw.com) The Hill, citing the same policy move, reported DHS was telling ICE to craft policies to crack down on immigration attorneys if they helped file fraudulent asylum applications. The administration has already been pressing immigration courts in other ways. (cbsnews.com) CBS News reported in December that ICE attorneys had filed more than 8,000 requests to dismiss asylum claims by invoking deportation agreements with third countries, and later reported that more than 12,000 people abandoned their asylum cases or left voluntarily as that campaign expanded. Why does Tacoma keep coming up in the bond fight? Tacoma, Washington, became an early test site for the no-bond approach now being fought nationwide. (thehill.com) ABC News and Associated Press reporting said immigration judges at the Northwest ICE Processing Center began denying bond to many detainees early this decade, years before the Trump administration adopted the same legal theory more broadly. (cbsnews.com) A federal appeals court rejected the administration’s no-bond policy this month after two other appeals courts had agreed with it, ABC News reported, setting up what the report described as a likely Supreme Court showdown. The AP report said the policy change since July had unleashed tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging unconstitutional confinement. What are the damage claims over raids and shootings? (abcnews.com) The Los Angeles Times reported on May 26 that dozens of U.S. citizens and immigrants are seeking millions of dollars in damages over immigration raids, shootings, wrongful detention and trauma allegedly caused by federal agents. The cases include claims of excessive force and mistaken detention during enforcement actions. (abcnews.com) Those claims add a second legal front to the administration’s enforcement agenda. One track runs through immigration court, where ICE lawyers are being told to pursue fraud cases and defend detention practices. The other runs through civil litigation, where people swept up in raids are asking federal agencies to pay damages for alleged abuses. That combination is likely to keep the next phase of the fight in court filings, bond hearings and administrative proceedings involving DHS, ICE, detainees and immigration attorneys. (msn.com) (news.bloomberglaw.com)
