On Friday night, President Trump issued a memo directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to punish law firms and lawyers that file what the administration views as frivolous or unreasonable lawsuits against the federal government. The memo is widely seen as a way to target immigration lawyers. Former Justice Department official Vanita Gupta said the memo “attacks the very foundations of our legal system by threatening and intimidating litigants who aim to hold our government accountable to the law and the Constitution.”
Meanwhile, a court battle continues over Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to transfer over 130 Venezuelan men from the United States to El Salvador after they were accused of being gang members. An appeals court will hear oral arguments today on the case. On Friday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg called Trump’s use of the law to be “incredibly troublesome and problematic.” The Trump administration is appealing Boasberg’s decision to halt flights under the Alien Enemies Act.
