CLEVELAND — Immigration lawyers across the country could face their own legal troubles, following a memo sent by the Trump administration U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
José Juarez provides legal services to immigrants as the founding partner of Bartell, Georgalas & Juarez. He said the northeast Ohio law firm aims to preserve immigrants’ due process rights.
“The majority of the clients that we represent are here applying for asylum,” Juarez said. "There is a process. There is a form. There is a whole line of law that we are helping our clients with the complexities of how to continue on with this process while they're here in the United States.”
The presidential memorandum, in part, is accusing immigration lawyers and pro-bono attorneys of pushing forward false claims in asylum cases. In the memo, Trump also names specific law firms, writing that “examples of grossly unethical misconduct are far too common” in the field of law.
Still, Juarez said he believes most attorneys aren’t willing to put their jobs on the line when handling these cases.
“We will not put our license in jeopardy to fabricate a false story,” Juarez said. “What I will tell you, though, is everybody who has a fear of returning to their country has a right to apply for asylum. Whether or not they qualify for or not is up to an immigration judge.”
The president ends the memo directing Bondi and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, to “take all appropriate action to refer for disciplinary action.”
Jonathan Bartell, who works alongside Juarez as an attorney and partner, said there are already safeguards in place to ensure legal experts are abiding by the law.
“If you were to commit an offense that is mentioned in the memo, specifically providing false information or frivolous applications … the state of Ohio has a disciplinary counsel, and if complaints are made, you have to answer to that counsel,” he said. “So it's a redundant order.”
The memorandum could reduce the number of attorneys who agree to take on immigration cases, Bartell said.
“I think for others who may not be full-time immigration lawyers, I think it may deter them from being involved in these important cases,” he said.
Many legal experts are already struggling to properly advise clients under an evolving political landscape, Bartell said.
“...Temporary Protected Status for many nationalities is going to be gone off the table. So for people, in which we had a clear avenue to do something for, that is no longer the case,” he said.
As U.S. attorneys and their clients are navigating these political changes, Juarez said its important for both parties to work together and stay informed.
“Right now, it's your opportunity to get in contact with an attorney and immigration law firm … They'll explain to you the process, explain to you what your rights are,” he said. “You need to stay strong, you need to create a plan and be proactive when it comes to what you want to do to try to remain here in the United States legally.”
