PHILADELPHIA — A group of public defenders in Philadelphia, known as the Defender Association of Philadelphia, issued a statement on their website vowing to defend immigrants from fear, detention and deportation, regardless of immigration status.
The statement followed a memorandum from President Donald Trump threatening to sanction lawyers who sue him over what he calls “baseless partisan” attacks.
While fraudulent and meritless suits are rare because an investigation is required to determine whether enough evidence can bring a case to court, Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to “hold attorneys and law firms accountable for unethical conduct when litigating against the federal government,” according to a March 22, 2025, report by Reuters.
A White House fact sheet summed up the order as suing all lawyers who make “fraudulent and meritless” claims on the grounds of filing “baseless partisan” suits against the president.
However, the order does not define “fraudulent and meritless” or “baseless partisan,” and includes law firms that exercise diversity policies as well.
Trump can claim that any and all suits against him are politically motivated, even if advocacy groups like the Defender Association of Philadelphia prohibit their attorneys from having private practices to prevent partisanship.
In its statement, the organization warned that Trump’s vague language would allow him to silence opponents.
Reuters explained that lawyers could lose their licenses if the attorney general convicts them of “unethical misconduct,” even though states are responsible for regulating attorney licensing.
Firms found guilty of misconduct would also be stripped of federal contracts and reassessed for their security clearances, according to the White House fact sheet.
This order comes at a particularly crucial time for lawyers in Philadelphia.
Not only did Trump attempt to silence them from advocating for due process, but another order reportedly demanded that all undocumented male immigrants be held in federal criminal prisons while awaiting the processing of their immigration paperwork, according to ABC News.
The problem, ABC News reported, is that the only federal prisons assigned to house undocumented male immigrants in the Northeast are in Philadelphia and Berlin, New Hampshire.
As a result, Philadelphia is experiencing a flood of detained immigrants.
Immigration detention centers were originally intended to ensure that immigrants appeared in court, much like how bail functions in the criminal legal system, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
However, the outlet noted that case management is just as effective as detention in ensuring court appearances—without the abuse immigrants often endure while incarcerated.
Most of the individuals held have not committed any crimes but were simply waiting for their paperwork to be processed. Many do not have behavioral issues. Now, they face abuse.
The Capital-Star reported that detained immigrants were stripped of their clothes and belongings, denied peace and privacy, deprived of access to essential hygiene resources and often placed in solitary confinement for speaking out against these conditions.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contracts private prison companies such as GEO Group, which have a documented history of abuse.
The Conversation explained that ICE often contracts with local law enforcement to help carry out federal immigration policies and bypass sanctuary city or state laws like those in Philadelphia.
There are no punitive consequences if local officers violate these sanctuary policies, according to The Conversation.
Local police departments can enter into contracts with ICE, in which the agency pays counties to hold immigrants in jails, Temple University researchers have reported.
The counties are paid per person they incarcerate, as uncovered by the Capital-Star.
Otherwise, the Sheller Center for Social Justice explained, Philadelphia’s sanctuary city policy prohibits the use of city or county time, money and resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement under the 10th Amendment.
This policy prevents law enforcement from asking about a person’s immigration status or complying with federal immigration orders.
Without access to local resources, ICE would face major barriers in carrying out deportations.
At the same time, federal payments to local governments and private prison companies allow the federal government to bypass constitutional limitations and force states to act against their sovereignty.
With local help, the federal government can more easily deport individuals detained by local authorities.
Because of its central location, the continued legal advocacy of Philadelphia’s public defenders has become even more vital.
Without legal representation, immigrants are unable to adequately present their cases or answer even basic questions like, “How does being deported disrupt your life in the U.S.?”
Undocumented immigrants risk unlawful deportation and prolonged detention because, as The Philadelphia Inquirer explained, “these challenges make the role of attorneys even more crucial in ensuring detainees can present their cases properly.”
The implementation of law becomes deeply flawed without complete evidence.
As The Inquirer continued, “The Trump administration’s memo undermines the very advocacy that ensures detainees receive fair treatment. By discouraging attorneys from taking complex cases, the directive threatens to silence voices that are vital to safeguarding due process.”
