Caribbean Born Congressman Denounces Trump’s Attack on Legal Community

News Americas, New York, NY, April 1, 2025: Caribbean American U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), took to the House floor today to strongly denounce what he called former President Donald Trump’s “unprecedented attack on the legal community.”

Caribbean born Congressman, Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., conducts a news conference with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), during the House Democrats 2025 Issues Conference at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va., on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Also appearing are, from left, Reps. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., Rob Menendez, D-N.J., Mike Levin, D-Calif., Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., Pablo Jose Hernandez Rivera, D-Puerto Rico, and Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Speaking in defense of the nation’s judiciary and legal institutions, Rep. Espaillat, the first Dominican American elected to Congress, warned that Trump and his allies are engaging in a dangerous effort to intimidate law firms and undercut the independence of the judicial branch.

“The President and his cronies are shaking down the legal world in an unprecedented manner,” Espaillat said in prepared remarks. “He has targeted law firms he deems a threat to his illegal agenda and pressured them through executive orders that threaten security clearances and access to federal buildings.”

Rep. Espaillat pointed to high-profile law firms, including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Paul Weiss, which he noted had agreed to provide $140 million in pro bono services to avoid potential sanctions. Others, such as WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Perkins Coie, continue to challenge the legality of the former president’s orders in court.

The Congressman also criticized House Republicans for echoing Trump’s rhetoric by promoting legislation that would restrict the judiciary’s ability to issue nationwide rulings. He argued this would severely undermine judicial independence.

“Trump is attacking the legal world and judicial branch because both conservative and liberal judges and law firms have stood up to his illegal agenda,” Espaillat said, citing Trump’s controversial efforts to fire federal employees and freeze federal funds.

Currently serving his fifth term, Rep. Espaillat represents a vibrant and diverse district that includes Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and parts of the northwest Bronx. He is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a Senior Whip in the Democratic Caucus.

In a further escalation of executive overreach, the Trump Administration recently moved to eliminate three critical oversight offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO). These bodies, created by Congress to uphold accountability, transparency, and humane treatment within the immigration system, play an essential role in protecting civil liberties. Immigration advocates, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, have warned that dismantling these offices opens the door to unchecked abuses and systemic inefficiency – leaving immigrants, families, and employers without recourse or oversight.