STATEMENT FROM IMMIGRANT ARC ON PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE TARGETING IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS

Albany, NY (March 22, 2025) –- Late last night, the White House issued a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to investigate immigration attorneys representing migrants and asylum seekers. Without evidence, the directive suggests that attorneys are abusing the legal system simply by helping individuals seek protection under U.S. law. 

This directive is not about protecting the integrity of the legal system — it is a politically motivated attempt to intimidate legal professionals who serve some of the most vulnerable members of our society. It undermines the fundamental right to counsel and threatens the core principles of due process and equal justice under the law. 

Camille Mackler, Founder and CEO of Immigrant ARC, made the following statement: 

"The attorneys in our network — more than 80 legal service providers across New York State, as well as partners around the country — are dedicated professionals who took an oath and who tirelessly show up every day to uphold the highest standards of legal ethics and integrity. They work to help immigrant New Yorkers navigate a complex and often hostile immigration system. They provide a critical safeguard against unlawful detention, family separation, and deportation to danger. 

We can only have faith in a judicial system if it respects the basic concepts of due process and fairness. That requires, at a minimum, that each party to the proceedings understand the rules, what is required of them, what their options are, and that they have a meaningful opportunity to be heard and to present a full defense. This has always been a high bar to meet in the immigration system, and immigration attorneys have worked tirelessly to uphold this ideal — even as the need has grown and resources have diminished — because they are committed to the oaths they took upon entering the legal profession. 

To now go after them for doing this work is not only a form of political intimidation, it chips away at the trust all Americans place in the fairness of our legal system. That is a dangerous slippery slope — and it should concern us all. 

To suggest that these attorneys are engaging in misconduct simply by representing their clients is both false and dangerous. It echoes a broader pattern of attacks on the legal profession and seeks to criminalize advocacy itself. Immigrant ARC stands in solidarity with the immigration bar and with all attorneys who provide high-quality legal representation to those who need it most. We will not be intimidated, and we will continue to support our members as they uphold the rule of law, challenge injustice, and protect the rights of immigrant New Yorkers."

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Immigrant ARC is a collaborative of over 80 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the State. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim Travel Ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system.