[Salon] USA will punish the lawyer who received a free immigration case

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USA will punish the lawyer who received a free immigration case

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested a federal judge to impose a "substantial fine" on a California lawyer who briefly stopped the deportation of a Laotian immigrant who pleaded guilty to attempt murder in the 1990s.

Joshua Schroeder, who works as an immigration and intellectual property lawyer in Los Angeles, appears to be the first target of President Donald Trump's promise to punish lawyers for federal courting the administration with cases that he finds meaningless.

Legal experts described the previously unaware request for sanctions against Schroeder as extremely unusual. The DOJ initiated disciplinary proceedings after Schroeder demanded federal judges to stop the deportation of his client Vang Lor.

In emergency court documents to prevent deportation, Schroeder argued that his client could be illegally involved in this effort, citing the administration's aggressive effort to deport other foreigners under the Foreign Enemies Act.

Schroeder was successful for several weeks, but the Trump administration now argues that it falsely claimed that its client would be deported under this rarely enforced law, and insisted even after government lawyers announced that deportation was based on the usual immigration law.

The DOJ's harsh counter-move came after Trump signed a presidential memorandum in March that instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi, including immigration lawyers, to “sanction lawyers and law firms to file meaningless, unreasonable and disturbing lawsuits against the United States.”

UCLA law professor Scott Cummings said, “This is part of the game plan announced. Under normal circumstances, can the DOJ impose sanctions against a lawyer trying to protect its client from deportation in such a situation? I don't think so," he said.

Schroeder said the DOJ's attempt to fine him for his deportation-related cases was part of Trump's campaign of pressure against law firms he thinks he opposes his policies or supports his political enemies.

In an interview, Schroeder said, “This reminds me of the presidential decrees targeting these big law firms. They can go down to the bottom, and I'm there; I'm not saying it to insult myself... This is something from head to toe. This is not only the struggle of the elite," he said.

While Schroeder appeared to be the DOJ's first lawyer to demand sanctions from the federal judge under Trump's March order, Trump also went after other lawyers, such as former special counsel Jack Smith's lawyer, Peter Koski, and whistlebler lawyer Mark Zaid, and revoked security permits.

Schroeder, who works alone, said he took over Lor's case for free and that this move of the Trump administration would discourage other lawyers from doing the same for other immigrants and poor or unpopular clients.

“Our profession encourages us ordinary lawyers to take pro bono [free] lawsuits,” Schroeder said. If they can attack someone like me for trying, it can reduce our ability to help in all cases, not just in such cases," he said.

White House spokesman Abigail Jackson applauded the DOJ's efforts and said it would deter unfair cases.

"It is very important to prevent future lawyers from bringing unfounded cases to court solely for the purpose of delaying or blocking the implementation of the laws," Jackson said.

Harici.com.tr07.08.2025 15:17Yazar