Bello, who has a law office in East Boston, said she became a US citizen in 2007 and has been practicing immigration law for 14 years.
The letter sent to her was titled “Notice of Termination of Parole” and addressed to her email.
The message, which appeared below the DHS Washington, D.C., office logo, said its recipient would be subject to criminal prosecution, civil fines and penalties if they do not “depart the United States immediately.”
The letter also told Bello her parole and any associated work authorization would terminate in seven days.
Bello told the Globe she thinks she received the letter mistakenly because her email address is “registered in one of the parole applications for my clients.”
DHS said in a statement that letters like the one Bello received may have been sent to the wrong people by US Customs and Border Protection.
“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,” the DHS said in an email statement, adding, “CBP is monitoring communications and will address any issues on a case-by-case basis.”
Bello’s letter, which was sent at 2:05 a.m. on Friday, April 11, told her the department knew its recipient was in the United States for a limited time frame.
“You are currently here because the Department of Homeland Security paroled you into the United States for a limited period,” said the letter, which was obtained by the Globe.
The letter also told Bello she should deport herself from the US.
“DHS encourages you to leave immediately on your own.
You can use the CBP Home mobile app on your phone to make arrangements for your departure,” it said.
In its statement to the Globe, DHS said, “To be clear: If you are an alien, being in the United States is a privilege—not a right.
We are acting in the best interest of the country and enforcing the law accordingly.”
Bello was mistakenly sent the DHS letter around the same time a similar letter was sent to Nicole Micheroni, another immigration lawyer who is also a US citizen.
Micheroni told the Globe she got an email letter Friday morning from DHS and that it also told her to leave the United States because her parole was being terminated.
“Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you,” said the letter, which Micheroni said was not intended for her.
Authorities recently issued a wave of parole terminations by email, said Sarah Sherman-Stokes, associate director of the Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Clinic at Boston University School of Law.
She said the email notices appear to be targeting asylum seekers who used the CBP One app, a Biden-era program that allowed migrants to schedule appointments to enter the country and await asylum hearings.
Citizens could have received those emails by mistake if an immigrant listed their email as contact information, a senior DHS official said in a statement.
Reporting from Dan Glaun and Jason Laughlin contributed to this story.
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