US immigration ignites MAGA-sized fears for British lawyers
US immigration officers were never known for their friendliness. But in the new (part two) Trump era, anxiety levels for those visiting the US are at an all-time high—especially for British lawyers.
After a nine-hour flight filled with poor food and an uncomfortable seating position (unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to be in first class), the last thing you want is to be worried about your entry into the country simply because of your job title.
Yet in this era of Trump, lawyers are increasingly anxious when landing at JFK, O’Hare, LAX, or any of the 400+ US airports. And it’s not without reason. Lawyers, judges, and anyone working in the legal field have now joined journalists on the list of professions the US President considers the new “enemy of the people.”
A senior lawyer told City AM that, due to heightened anxiety, they now ask their PA to triple-check all visa documentation and rehearse responses to potential questions from immigration officers. “I was pulled aside for a second screening and had no idea why. I just kept calm and played it safe.”
Another lawyer, a frequent flyer across the Atlantic, compared the current situation to travel to China. They recalled past advice to avoid bringing work phones—advice they now apply when travelling to the US.
A partner at a leading law firm told City AM that colleagues are increasingly opting to leave their work laptops at home and instead carry burner devices, fearing they could be targeted for information.
A primary concern among these professionals is that laptops containing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) materials could be used as evidence against their firms by the Trump administration.
This follows a March request from a federal agency, which sent letters to 20 major law firms—many of them based in London—demanding details of their DEI policies. Several firms are still consulting on how to respond.
Other law firms have also been targeted with executive orders, allegedly due to links with the Democratic Party or associations with individuals involved in Trump’s prosecutions.
For lawyers in or travelling to the US, the feeling is clear: they have a target on their backs.
It doesn’t help that several countries, including Germany, the UK and Portugal, have issued travel warnings for citizens visiting the US.
Recent headlines have detailed incidents involving legally admitted tourists—including British and German nationals—being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tougher border enforcement has seen people held for weeks in detention centres before being deported. These stories are making the rounds in the media and across social platforms, causing many to reconsider holiday plans to the US.
Unfortunately, for senior British lawyers, travel to the US is often unavoidable—especially as many British law firms are in aggressive expansion mode across the Pond.
To support this, firm leaders must open new offices and oversee mergers from the other side of the Atlantic.
Kennedys Law, Freshfields, Bird & Bird and Clifford Chance are among the British firms that have launched multiple offices in the US. Meanwhile, A&O Shearman and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) are at different stages of managing major mergers Stateside.
More than ever, there are City lawyers whose Avios points may be at an all-time high—but it’s also one of the most anxious times to travel.
With Trump and his MAGA supporters potentially having three years and seven months left in office, British lawyers are likely to remain in a heightened state of anxiety—crossing their fingers every time they step off the plane and into the so-called Land of the Free.
Eyes on the Law is a weekly column by Maria Ward-Brennan focused on the legal sector.