DHS' top lawyer fires a warning directly at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, telling attorneys that filing frivolous asylum claims will carry penalties — marking a major escalation from targeting immigrants themselves to the lawyers helping them stay in the country. James Percival laid out the legal framework in blunt terms: asylum is discretionary, persecution must come from a state actor, and most Western Hemisphere migrants don't qualify because they're driven by economic incentives, not genuine fear of persecution. He even took a shot at Chicago, noting that residents of crime-ridden cities could "easily claim" government failure — but that the legal bar is far higher than that. AILA has already called the Trump administration's fraud concerns "chilling" and rejected that its members engage in frivolous litigation. DHS says it will "vigorously pursue all available remedies" against anyone clogging the system. Full story here ⬇️