Emily Ryo. “Fostering Legal Cynicism Through Immigration Detention.” Southern California Law Review, vol. 90 (2016): 999-1053.
This article examines how immigration detention in the United States under a hardline enforcement regime, especially during the Trump administration, serves not merely as an administrative tool but as a socio-legal mechanism that fosters legal cynicism among detained noncitizens. Although the article does not center on attorneys directly, it implicitly underscores the importance of legal representation and advocacy in challenging systemic abuse and upholding the rule of law in a context where procedural justice is weakened. In backsliding democracies, attorneys can play a pivotal role in contesting arbitrary detention, clarifying inscrutable legal procedures, and countering the erosion of trust in legal institutions. The legal profession, in this setting, is essential not just for individual defense but for resisting the delegitimization of law itself.