According to reports, Trump sent a late-night memo to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing lawyers of facilitating large-scale fraud in the immigration system and promoting baseless claims. He instructed the Department of Justice to impose sanctions on lawyers for professional misconduct.
The directive also targets law firms that have filed lawsuits against the administration, labeling them as "baseless and biased cases." Trump directed Bondi to provide the White House with a list of such firms so that their security clearances could be revoked and their federal contracts terminated.
Senior attorney Ben Wizner from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the directive, stating that it aims to "silence and intimidate" lawyers challenging Trump’s policies.
Trump has also criticized law firms over their diversity policies and affiliations with political opponents. Wizner pointed out that the courts remain the last institution resisting Trump's influence and that they cannot function without lawyers bringing cases before them.
The ACLU has been actively involved in legal battles against the administration’s immigration and deportation policies, including cases involving the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
Since the start of Trump’s second term, his administration has faced over 100 lawsuits concerning immigration, transgender rights, and other matters. Advocacy groups have collaborated with at least 12 major law firms to challenge these policies.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers defended Trump’s stance, saying: “President Trump is fulfilling his promise to ensure that the judicial system is not weaponized against the American people.”
The Justice Department has yet to respond to requests for comment on the memo, which directs Bondi to review all lawsuits filed against the government over the past eight years.
A legal firm involved in immigration rights cases, Keker, Van Nest & Peters, criticized Trump’s move, calling it "unacceptable and disgraceful" to target lawyers representing clients against the government.
Several well-known law firms, including Hogan Lovells, Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, and WilmerHale, have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Earlier this month, Trump issued executive orders against law firms Perkins Coie and Paul Weiss, suspending their security clearances and restricting their access to government buildings, officials, and federal contracts.
Last month, he also revoked security clearances for lawyers from Covington & Burling due to their previous work on cases opposing his administration.
Keker, Van Nest & Peters have urged law firms to sign a joint legal briefing in support of Perkins Coie’s lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order.
Paul Weiss reached a compromise with Trump’s administration by agreeing to provide $40 million worth of pro bono legal work on government-aligned causes, such as veterans' rights and combating anti-Semitism.
Legal ethics mandate that lawyers investigate allegations before filing lawsuits and prohibit misleading the courts. Typically, sanctions for violating these rules are imposed by the judiciary, not federal prosecutors. However, prosecutors may charge lawyers with criminal misconduct in certain situations.
Some lawyers affiliated with Trump have faced disciplinary actions for violating legal ethics while attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former lawyer and ex-mayor of New York City, had his law licenses suspended in New York and Washington, D.C. for making false claims about election fraud in 2020.
Lawyers for Civil Rights, an advocacy group supporting immigrant rights, labeled Trump’s threats as hypocritical, stating: "Trump and his allies have repeatedly attacked the rule of law."
