Homeland security told US-born immigration lawyer to leave country | US immigration

A Massachusetts immigration lawyer who is a US-born American citizen is speaking out after she received an email from Trump administration immigration authorities telling her she needed to leave the country.

Nicole Micheroni described receiving an email on 11 April – and that its heading was “notice of termination of parole”.

“It is time for you to leave the United States,” the email read. “If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States.”

Micheroni told NBC Boston: “At first I thought it was for a client, but I looked really closely and the only name on the email was mine.

She added, “Probably, hopefully, [it was] sent to me in error. But it’s a little concerning these are going out to US citizens.”

News of Micheroni’s email comes as the Trump administration has waged an aggressive effort to remove non-citizens from the United States, including people who are here legally and have not been charged with crimes. Trump has also openly mused about removing US citizens who commit unspecified crimes from the country and sending them to prison in El Salvador.

Removing US citizens from the United States is clearly illegal, experts say.

An official with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told NBC Boston that Micheroni may have received the notice because her name and contact information is on the paperwork for clients.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities “used the known email addresses of the alien to send notifications”, a DHS official told the network. “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.”

Micheroni said, “I think it’s a scare tactic.

“I think they want people afraid of immigration.”