The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to impose monetary sanctions on Los Angeles attorney Joshua Schroeder, marking the first known case under President Trump’s March 2025 directive to punish lawyers engaged in what the administration calls “frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation” against the government.
Schroeder, who took the case pro bono, briefly halted the deportation of his client, Vang Lor, a Laotian immigrant with a 1998 attempted murder conviction, by arguing Lor might be deported under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act. The DOJ says Schroeder knew Lor’s removal was based on standard immigration law and accuses him of making false claims to delay deportation.
Legal experts describe the sanctions motion as unusual and potentially chilling for attorneys handling contentious immigration cases. Schroeder maintains his actions were urgent efforts to protect his client’s rights and sees the move as part of a broader campaign to intimidate lawyers opposing Trump administration policies. The judge in Guam will decide whether to grant the DOJ’s request.
Read the full court document here