Q & A: Vegas immigration attorney says Trump administration ‘does not respect the rule of law’

A Las Vegas immigration attorney says the White House’s deportation actions circumvent due process, violating the Constitution and threatening the authority of federal and district court judges.

Hardeep Sull was born in Canada to parents who immigrated from India. She later settled in Las Vegas to practice immigration and international law and launched a firm called Sull and Associates.

Her firm specializes in criminal immigration defense, family law, and international regulations involving human rights, property rights, and expropriation matters. Sull and Associates was behind a recent announcement regarding increased activity from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the Las Vegas valley—stating that officers could arrive in plainclothes and unmarked cars, and make arrests without disclosing the reason for the detainment.

Sull is one of several members of the Nevada Immigration Coalition (NIC) speaking up after an increase in ICE activity was reported in Southern Nevada last weekend, resulting in more than a dozen arrests at homes, along roads, at a park, and even at businesses, including the Indoor Swapmeet at Eastern and Owens Avenues. She said the recent immigration actions are part of a plan to lead a campaign of fear and intimidation.

In an interview, she said she’s familiar with President Donald J. Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, but cautions that under his second term, deportation actions are circumventing due process, violating the Constitution, and threatening the authority of federal and district court judges. 

Sull likened the administration to lawless rebels of Shakespearean lore who sought to overthrow the government.

“Like Shakespeare once said, ‘kill all the attorneys,’” she said. “That’s how you effectuate something.”

Trump’s allies in Congress have also floated the idea of impeaching judges who ruled against the administration. According to the Associated Press, Elon Musk, the billionaire Trump backer and senior policy adviser to the president, has regularly called for removing judges on his social media site, X.

Against this backdrop of escalating political pressure on the judicial branch, critics accuse federal agents, emboldened by Trump, of trampling constitutional rights, sparking outrage among immigrant rights groups and legal experts, who say the recent crackdowns undermine constitutional protections and target those meant to uphold them.

For Sull, the situation is deeply concerning, and she plans to continue advocating for clients within the bounds of the law. 

“Preserving the rule of law and upholding our constitution, that we have been sworn to protect, is how we will operate,” she said about her firm. “It’s just a really ugly scenario when we have an administration that does not respect the rule of law.”

On Trump’s first day in office, as promised, he issued an Executive Order that raises questions about constitutional rights, as it authorizes expedited removals of “illegal aliens.” Advocates say enforcement without due process protections —  such as a hearing, legal representation, or appeal — violates constitutional law, even for undocumented immigrants.

This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity.

What are you most concerned about regarding an uptick in immigration enforcement actions in Las Vegas?

The tactics that are being used and the hardline rhetoric of threatening individuals who may not even be undocumented. Many dishonest tactics are being used, like ‘we’ll charge you with alien harboring,’ which I have heard from my clients. (Any person who knowingly or in reckless disregard “conceals, harbors, or shields” people from ICE detection, or attempts to do so, is at risk of arrest for alien harboring.)

I think that those types of tactics, scare tactics, and threats to a US citizen or a family member are very scary, and that’s pretty unprecedented. 

What has been the response from community members regarding Kilmar Ábrego García, who was mistakenly deported to an infamous mega-prison in El Salvador and remains there even after the US Supreme Court called it illegal and ruled the administration had to facilitate his return? Have you been getting a lot of calls and concerns, and what are people saying?

People are very, very scared. The federal judges have no authority. It’s just not how the framers of our Constitution designed our country. We have checks and balances. Everyone should have their day in court. That’s the danger. 

I would bet that every American would want to have their day in court. Even if you’re not an American, there is an expectation, by law, that you are entitled to court proceedings.

How are you prepared to represent families, and are you preparing yourself to do so differently?

We realize we are not in the same environment we were in during the first Trump administration. We recognize that we are in a different era. We believe in due process and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. That’s how we’re going to keep plugging away. That’s why America is great.

Has anyone called and told you they voted for Trump, but this isn’t what they voted for?

Yes, many. My clients, as well as friends, and that’s all over the spectrum. Nobody wants this type of chaos.

Do you see a pattern of who’s being targeted?

From my understanding, they go through databases and someone could be listed because of a parking ticket or any type of arrest in the police system.

If you were removed and returned to take care of your children, and you had a home 20 years ago, more than likely, you’re still in the same house. And so they target those. Those are what I call the soft targets. 

If there was an old removal order and you had a house at one point, they bet on you being a creature of habit. They may go to the house.

What could leaders do right now to help people feel safer, or know that they are protected and won’t be violated?

Leaders will have to get out there and make sure that people know their rights and challenge any illegality that ICE is inflicting on individuals, because the tactics are something else. There are people who are literally doing it the right way, and they’re getting targeted. And that’s the sad thing.

Correction: A previous version of this article mistakenly reported that Hardeep Sull immigrated from India to Canada. Sull was born in Canada to parents who immigrated from India. She later settled in Las Vegas to practice immigration and international law and launched a firm called Sull and Associates. We regret the error.