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IMMIGRATION APRIL 04, 2025 | The Indian Eye 38
Trump and Dick the Butcher
Have the Same Impulse:
“Let’s Kill All the Lawyers”
BY CYRUS D. MEHTA lawyers in this way and worse as fense who stand in the way of threatens our national security, cent victims like Laken Riley,
“[threatening] our national se- tyranny. homeland security, public safe- Jocelyn Nungaray, or Rachel
he White House issued curity, homeland security, pub- Trump, and his henchman ty, or election integrity. Morin, or the enormous drain
a memo on March 22, lic safety, or election integrity.” Miller, like Dick the Butcher, Recent examples of gross- on taxpayer resources intended
T2025 ominously titled But there is another mean- are now attacking the immi- ly unethical misconduct are far for Americans.
Preventing Abuses of the Le- ing to this phrase. Dick the gration bar through this memo. too common. For instance, Federal Rule of Civil Pro-
gal System and the Federal Butcher is a murderous thug Supposedly unethical lawyers in 2016, Marc Elias, founder cedure 11 prohibits attorneys
Court. and Jack Cade’s right hand are standing in their way to dis- and chair of Elias Law Group from engaging in certain uneth-
The phrase “The first thing man who is leading a rebel- mantle an immigration system LLP, was deeply involved in the ical conduct in Federal courts.
we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” lion against King Henry. They that allows the persecuted to creation of a false “dossier” Attorneys must not present
is from William Shakespeare’s kill anyone who can read and seek protection in the US. The by a foreign national designed legal filings “for improper pur-
Henry VI said by a character burn all books and documents memo suggests ways to “kill to provide a fraudulent basis pose[s],” including “to harass,
called Dick the Butcher in Act they encounter as it will be be the lawyers” by sanctioning for Federal law enforcement cause unnecessary delay, or
IV, Scene II. This phrase has easier for them to take over an and disciplining them through to investigate a Presidential needlessly increase the cost of
been seized upon to disparage ignorant population over one an assortment of court and dis- candidate in order to alter the litigation.” FRCP 11(b)(1).
the legal profession and law- where eveyone understands ciplinary rules. outcome of the Presidential Attorneys must ensure that le-
yers as crooked and overpriced. their rights. In order for their Obviously, there is no election. Elias also intentional- gal arguments are “warranted
Perhaps Stephen Miller, advi- rebellion to succeeed Dick is truth to this assertion. The ly sought to conceal the role of by existing law or by a nonfriv-
sor to President Trump on re- suggesting that they must erad- immigration bar and lawyers his client — failed Presidential olous argument for extending,
stricting immigration, who may icate the lawyers, the defenders in Big Law doing immigration candidate Hillary Clinton — in modifying, or reversing exist-
have had a hand in authoring of justice, who stand in their pro bono are ethical. Other- the dossier. ing law or for establishing new
the memo, also understands way. Lawyers are the last de- wise, they would have been The immigration system law.” FRCP 11(b)(2). And
sanctioned and disbarred — where rampant fraud and attorneys must ensure that
by vigilant disciplinary meritless claims have supplant- their statements about facts are
authorities. Trump is en- ed the constitutional and lawful “reasonably based” on eviden-
gaging in delirious fantasy. bases upon which the President tiary support, or a belief that
Lawyers must stand firm exercises core powers under such evidence actually exists.
together notwithstanding Article II of the United States FRCP 11(b)(3)-(b)(4). When
this nonsensical bluster Constitution — is likewise re- these commands are violated,
and continue to ethically plete with examples of unscru- opposing parties are autho-
represent noncitizens in pulous behavior by attorneys rized to file a motion for sanc-
asylum and other immi- and law firms. For instance, the tions. FRCP 11(c). The text of
gration cases. If lawyers immigration bar, and powerful the rule specifically addresses
fall and capitulate, like Big Law pro bono practices, and provides for sanctions for
Paul Weiss did, who will frequently coach clients to con- attorneys and their firms as well
defend the defenders of ceal their past or lie about their as for recalcitrant parties given
the Constitution? circumstances when asserting the solemn obligation that at-
The entirety of this their asylum claims, all in an torneys have to respect the rule
absurd memo that at first attempt to circumvent immi- of law and uphold our Nation’s
brush seems like comical gration policies enacted to pro- legal system with integrity. Fur-
satire is real and repro- tect our national security and thermore, Rule 3.1 of the Mod-
duced here: deceive the immigration au- el Rules of Professional Con-
SUBJECT: Preventing thorities and courts into grant- duct provides that, “A lawyer
Abuses of the Legal System ing them undeserved relief. shall not bring or defend a pro-
m of and the Federal Court Gathering the necessary infor- ceeding, or assert or controvert
CYRUS D. MEHTA & PARTNERS PLLC Lawyers and law mation to refute these fraud- an issue therein, unless there is
a basis in law and fact for doing
ulent claims imposes an enor-
firms that engage in ac-
mous burden on the Federal so that is not frivolous, which
tions that violate the laws Government. And this fraud includes a good faith argument
of the United States or
rules governing attorney in turn undermines the integ- for an extension, modification
rity of our immigration laws or reversal of existing law.”
conduct must be efficient- and the legal profession more Unfortunately, far too
ly and effectively held broadly — to say nothing of the many attorneys and law firms
accountable. Account-
ability is especially im- undeniable, tragic consequenc- have long ignored these re-
portant when misconduct es of the resulting mass illegal quirements when litigating
2 6th Floor immigration, whether in terms against the Federal Govern-
by lawyers and law firms of heinous crimes against inno- ment or in pursuing baseless
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