U.S. Citizen and Immigration Attorney Told to Leave the Country in DHS Email Blunder

In another Trump Administration’s baffling turn of events that is raising serious questions about immigration enforcement accuracy, Massachusetts resident and immigration lawyer Nicole Micheroni received an email from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last Friday ordering her to leave the country within seven days. The problem? Nicole Micheroni is a U.S. citizen, born in Newton and raised in Sharon, Massachusetts. “At first, I thought it was for a client,” she told NBC10 Boston. “But I looked really closely, and the only name on the email was mine.”

The email stated that her “parole status had been terminated” — a phrase typically used for non-citizens who have been granted temporary permission to stay in the country. For Nicole Micheroni, who not only holds U.S. citizenship but is also a practising immigration lawyer, the message was both absurd and alarming.

A Mistake With Real Consequences

While Nicole Micheroni suspects the notice may have been sent in error, she expressed concern about the implications. “The language in the email is very threatening,” she said. “It looks kind of like a sketchy spam email. It doesn’t look like an official government notice — but it is.”

Her role as an immigration lawyer means her name and contact information appear on documents for many clients facing deportation or other legal issues. Her information was likely mistakenly linked to a case involving a non-citizen, but that’s what troubles her — the lack of precision in government communications on such high-stakes matters.

DHS Responds With an Explanation — and an Excuse

DHS official said that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been issuing notices to individuals without legal status in the U.S. using the known email addresses provided by those individuals. “If a non-personal email — such as an American citizen contact — was provided by the alien, notices may have been sent to unintended recipients,” the official stated, adding that CBP is monitoring communications and will handle issues case-by-case.

But to immigration lawyer Nicole Micheroni and many others, that’s not good enough. “I think it’s really scary this is going on,” she said. “It says they’re not being careful.”

A Wake-Up Call for Immigration Policy?

The incident occurs amid broader national debates over immigration policy, including ongoing legal battles related to the termination of immigration parole protections for hundreds of thousands of people — including military families and Ukrainians fleeing war.

Micheroni’s case, though likely the result of administrative error, underscores how errors in enforcement can lead to fear, confusion, and potentially serious consequences, especially for people without the legal expertise to challenge them.

“A Scare Tactic”?

Since posting about her experience on social media, immigration lawyer Nicole Micheroni has received thousands of messages of support and concern. Some believe the incident is more than just bureaucratic sloppiness. “I think it’s a scare tactic,” she said. “I think they want people afraid of immigration.”

While she doesn’t plan to contact DHS about the notice, she hopes the situation brings attention to the need for greater oversight and accuracy in immigration enforcement. For now, she’s staying put — and keeping a close eye on her inbox.