Original Date Announced

Presidential Memorandum "Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court," addressed to the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security, accuses the immigration bar and pro bono practices of engaging in widespread "unscrupulous behavior." The memo asserts that "rampant fraud and meritless claims" plague the immigration system, and that attorneys representing immigrant clients "frequently coach clients to conceal their past or lie about their circumstances when asserting their asylum claims, all in an attempt to circumvent immigration policies." The memo:

• directs the Attorney General "to seek sanctions against attorneys and law firms who engage in frivolous, unreasonable, and vexation litigation against the United States or in matters before executive departments or agencies of the United States," including immigration agencies.
• directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to "prioritize enforcement of their respective regulations governing attorney conduct and discipline."
• directs the Attorney General to "refer for disciplinary action any attorney whose conduct . . . appears to violate professional conduct rules."
• directs the Attorney General to recommend attorneys whose conduct warrants sanctions or discipline "to the President" so that additional steps, including revocation of security clearances and termination of federal contracts, may be taken.
• directs the Attorney general to review "conduct by attorneys or their law firms against the Federal Government over the last 8 years" to identify misconduct and recommend them to the President for revocation of security clearances and termination of federal contracts.

Trump 2.0 [ID # 1671]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.06.16 Complaint - ABA v. Executive Office of the President

The American Bar Association filed suit to challenge the Trump administration’s ongoing policy of intimidating lawyers and law firms, as carried out through executive orders and memoranda such as the one described in this entry. The complaint alleges that the administration’s policy violates the First Amendment and the separation of powers. It repeatedly references immigration-related cases as examples of matters disfavored and targeted by the administration. American Bar Association v. Executive Office of the President, No. 1:25-cv-01888 (D.D.C.).

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