A Massachusetts-born immigration attorney is questioning how many people are being wrongly instructed by the federal government to self-deport after she says she received an email from the Department of Homeland Security telling her to leave the U.S. “immediately” because her “parole” was terminated.
Nicole Micheroni shared the email to her Bluesky account Friday, stating that she knew it was sent to her in error and so wasn’t worried, “but what about the people the emails were actually aimed at?”
“It is time for you to leave the United States,” reads the email attributed to DHS, which has sent out similar versions to non-U.S. citizens who entered the U.S. using the CBP One mobile app. That app was set up during the Biden administration to facilitate border crossings before it was canceled by President Donald Trump.
Micheroni, who said she was born in Newton, works in Boston and has “no idea” how she ended up on the government’s list, was told she has seven days to leave the U.S., according to the email.
“Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you,” it warns.
“I’ve been here my whole life,” she told local Boston station WCVB.
A senior DHS official suggested in an email to HuffPost on Monday that Micheroni may have been inappropriately contacted because a non-U.S. citizen submitted her email to them as their own.
“CBP used the known email addresses of the alien to send notifications. If a non-personal email — such as an American citizen contact — was provided by the alien, notices may have been sent to unintended recipients. CBP is monitoring communications and will address any issues on a case-by-case basis,” the official said.
Micheroni advised anyone who received a similar email or who is concerned about their immigration status to seek legal aid, while adding that someone’s parole being revoked is not the same thing as a deportation order.
“There are a lot of people within their rights to stay here that are being told to leave, and a lot of people don’t know the difference,” Micheroni told WCVB.
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“Anyone who has received this may still have options & should talk to an immigration lawyer NOW,” she wrote on her Bluesky account.