Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“Intimidating lawyers has become a key component of the Trump administration’s overall strategy, and this is especially true with respect to mass deportations. Immigrants detained for lacking documentation are more than 10 times more likely to get a favorable outcome if they have an attorney than if they don’t. Trump officials are certainly aware of this. During Trump’s first term, Attorney General Jeff Sessions decried ‘dirty immigration lawyers,’ claiming they were encouraging their clients to ‘make false claims of asylum, providing them with the magic words needed’ to get relief. There were also multiple incidents of DHS targeting immigration attorneys, advocates, and journalists with criminal investigations or by flagging their passports for extra scrutiny if they left and reentered the country. But this time around, they’re ratcheting up the pressure.” (04/23/25)