A man born in California recently received an email from the Department of Homeland Security instructing him to self-deport from the United States immediately.
Newsweek has contacted DHS for comment via email outside normal office hours.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has pledged to remove millions of undocumented immigrants as part of his flagship mass deportation policy.
Since taking office in January, his administration has terminated the legal statuses of individuals who entered the country through humanitarian parole, ordering them to self-deport. Reports have emerged that some U.S. citizens—including immigration attorneys, doctors and nonprofit advocates for refugees—have received deportation notices amid the administration’s sweeping crackdown.
What To Know
Aldo Martinez-Gomez, a San Diego County resident, has spent much of his life in the South Bay.
“I was born in Paradise Valley Hospital in National City and I was raised my whole life in Chula Vista,” Martinez-Gomez told Fox 5 San Diego.
According to the outlet, Martinez-Gomez’s birth certificate verifies those details. Still, on April 11, he received an email from DHS giving him seven days to self-deport from the United States.
“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,” the letter said.
“Do not attempt to remain in the United States—the federal government will find you,” it continued.
Martinez-Gomez works full time at a nonprofit organization that assists individuals navigating immigration court.
“Where do they want me to go? I was born in National City. I was raised in San Diego County my whole life,” he said. “When I represent people in immigration court, there’s always an ICE office nearby. Will I be detained when I represent a client at a hearing? Will they come to my house?”
The Californian was among what appeared to be dozens of people who received an unexpected self-deportation notice via email on Friday. Nicole Micheroni, a U.S. citizen and immigration attorney, was another.
“It is time for you to leave the United States,” the message began, adding, “DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole. Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate seven days from the date of this notice.”
Micheroni, a partner at Cameron Law Offices in Massachusetts, told Newsweek she was not on parole and did not believe the message was a scam. Instead, she saw it as a troubling sign of the Trump administration’s expansive and aggressive deportation campaign.
Pamela Rioles Saeed, an immigration attorney born in Boston, said she was shocked to receive a deportation notice from DHS.
What People Are Saying
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: “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.”
Aldo Martinez-Gomez told Fox 5 San Diego: “I’ve had to make contingency plans with my mom, something I never thought I’d have to do. I’ve been protecting myself and talking to people and doing interviews. I’m not seeking fame or attention. I just want to bring light to this issue because I’m not trying to be one of the government’s mistakes.”
What Happens Next
The Trump administration, which cannot legally deport U.S. citizens, is set to continue pursuing its hard-line immigration agenda—aspects of which face various legal challenges.
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