In response to the White House’s memo titled “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court,” Professor Karen Musalo, Director of the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), shared the following comment:
“The Trump administration is waging an unprecedented attack on the rule of law with its ongoing threats against both judges and lawyers. Our democracy requires a robust legal system to protect people’s rights and check abuses of executive power. The White House’s memo, with its false accusations of abuse and fraud by certain sectors of the legal profession, is a naked attempt to silence and intimidate lawyers who work to hold the government accountable for unlawful actions. This administration’s disregard for our system of justice, including judges and lawyers who are central to its proper functioning, threatens the very foundations of our democracy.”
“For over 25 years, CGRS has partnered with attorneys across the country whose integrity and zealous representation has ensured due process and fairness in the adjudication of immigration cases with life-or-death stakes. We will not be deterred in our pursuit of justice for all by baseless threats and accusations, regardless of their source. Our conscience and professional obligations require no less.”