Aldo Martinez, a U.S. citizen and immigration legal advocate, received a perplexing email from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on April 11, instructing him to leave the country or face removal.
The email stated, “You are currently here because the Department of Homeland Security paroled you into the United States for a limited period. 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. 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.”
Martinez, who was born in National City, California, adamantly insisted, “I was never paroled, I was never admitted into this country, I am no type of parole.”
His concern stems from his long history of aiding the undocumented community. As an accredited representative by the Department of Justice, Martinez has dedicated years to providing immigration legal services through the organization Al Otro Lado. He has conducted workshops aimed at empowering immigrants to navigate the complexities of immigration court and assisting them with asylum applications.
Additionally, Martinez played a key role in multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration four years ago that sought to challenge restrictions limiting asylum access.
On March 22, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum calling for sanctions against attorneys alleged to have engaged in “misconduct” during immigration cases. He argued that accountability is crucial when such misconduct threatens national security, public safety, or election integrity.
Compounding Martinez’s confusion, Nicole Micheroni, another U.S. citizen residing in Massachusetts, reported that she too received a similar email from the federal government, ordering her to leave the country.
Micheroni expressed her bewilderment upon realizing the email was directed solely at her. “At first I thought it was for a client, but I looked really closely, and the only name on the email was mine,” she stated.
Despite his innocence, Martinez remains concerned about the implications of the DHS notice. He stated, “I was surprised and scared because this administration would have no problem sending ICE after me even though I am a citizen.”
Uncertain of the reason behind the DHS correspondence, Martinez speculated that the memorandum targeting lawyers could have played a role in the mix-up.
“I just wanted to speak out because we can’t allow this to happen to our community,” he emphasized.
In a statement provided to NBC 7, DHS explained that Martinez may have received the email due to clients using his address when they lacked email access.
“Customs and Border Protection is issuing notices terminating parole for individuals who do not have lawful status to remain, and 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 statement said.
Despite this, Martinez expressed deep concern about the potential for retaliation against immigration lawyers.
“I think it is an intimidation tactic against our community whether you’re a citizen, legal permanent resident, or undocumented,” he stated firmly.
Undeterred, Martinez reassured, “They’re not going to stop me from fighting for immigrants’ rights to keep defending clients.”
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