DOJ Targets Pro Bono Immigration Lawyer

Summary:

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking “substantial monetary sanctions” against Joshua Schroeder, a California immigration attorney who unsuccessfully fought to block the deportation of his pro bono client, Vang Lor, a Laotian green card holder with a decades-old attempted murder conviction. Schroeder is believed to be the first lawyer targeted under President Donald Trump’s March 2025 directive instructing Attorney General Pam Bondi to sanction attorneys engaged in litigation deemed “frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious” against the federal government.

Schroeder briefly stalled Lor’s deportation through emergency motions in Texas and Guam federal courts, citing concerns that Trump’s recent use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan men to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison could signal broader, unchecked “war powers” deportations. Government attorneys argued Lor’s removal was solely under standard immigration law, not the Alien Enemies Act, and accused Schroeder of knowingly making false assertions to the contrary.

The sanctions motion, filed August 1 in the U.S. District Court of Guam, accuses Schroeder of acting “in bad faith” and seeks to deter other lawyers from bringing what the DOJ calls baseless deportation challenges. Critics say the move is an intimidation tactic designed to chill aggressive legal defense against Trump’s immigration agenda.

Lor, who arrived in the U.S. as a child in 1987, was deported to Laos in June after courts rejected Schroeder’s challenges. Schroeder maintains that his filings were urgent, drafted under severe time pressure, and aimed at safeguarding due process rights. Legal experts warn that targeting pro bono attorneys in this way is “uncharted territory” and risks undermining access to justice for immigrants and other vulnerable groups.

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Why It Matters

• First known sanctions bid under Trump’s 2025 anti-litigation directive against immigration lawyers.
• Raises concerns about chilling effect on pro bono legal representation in high-stakes deportation cases.
• Highlights Trump administration’s aggressive use of deportation powers and revived wartime laws.
• Sparks broader debate over due process and attorney independence in politically sensitive cases.

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Highlights:

• DOJ seeks monetary sanctions against California immigration lawyer Joshua Schroeder.
• Schroeder briefly delayed deportation of Laotian green card holder Vang Lor.
• Trump’s March 2025 order targets “frivolous” lawsuits against the U.S. government.
• Critics warn sanctions bid could deter pro bono immigration defense nationwide.
• Case raises due process questions over Alien Enemies Act deportations.