Recent emails from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have alarmed several U.S. citizens, including immigration attorneys in San Diego, signifying that they must leave the country.
These messages, which began circulating on April 10, contained alarming phrases such as “It’s time for you to leave the United States.”
The emails targeted at least two legal experts from a San Diego nonprofit dedicated to assisting immigrants, and reports indicate that similar messages have been sent to immigration attorneys in Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and a physician in Connecticut.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a division of DHS, has recognized that some of these notifications were mistakenly dispatched to unintended recipients.
This situation has sown confusion and concern amid ongoing crackdowns on immigration under the Trump administration, especially considering the implications for U.S. citizens involved in immigrant advocacy.
Adam Peña, one of the San Diego attorneys who received such an email, expressed his bewilderment having been born in El Paso, Texas, and part of a family that has resided in the U.S. for over a century.
“I was a little stunned by it. Like, ‘Why would I get this?’” he reflected.
The CBP stated that the emails were part of a process aimed at terminating immigration parole for individuals without permanent legal status, primarily impacting asylum seekers who entered through the CBP One app process.
This process allowed over 900,000 people to secure appointments since its implementation in January 2023.
CBP claimed that it used the known email addresses from the affected individuals to send the notifications.
If a non-personal email—such as contact information for a U.S. citizen—was provided by asylum seekers, the notices could potentially go to unintended recipients.
Peña indicated that though he did not feel personally at risk, the situation sparked doubts in his mind about the possibility of wrongful detention amid national headlines of U.S. citizens being wrongfully implicated in immigration actions.
“It’s frustrating to see the government display such recklessness and carelessness for individuals,” he stated, voicing concern about being inadvertently flagged as a potential immigration risk.
He has begun to reconsider the practicality of carrying identification documents, prompted by his mother’s advice, especially given the increasing reports of U.S. citizens being caught in immigration sweeps.
Peña noted that he might now carry his birth certificate and passport whenever he travels.
A similar sentiment was echoed by Aldo Martínez Gómez, an accredited representative in immigration court who also received a distressing email indicating that he must leave the country due to an expired parole.
“Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you. Please depart the United States immediately,” the notice reportedly stated.
Martínez Gómez, a U.S. citizen born in National City, admitted that even he was unsettled by the message, particularly in light of recent instances where American citizens have faced wrongful detentions in states like Arizona and Florida.
“I don’t want to be another error,” he remarked, expressing apprehension about the potential repercussions of the situation.
His primary concern was how the DHS managed to access his email address, noting that no clients requested this information while he was assisting them; instead, he had met these asylum seekers after they had already entered the U.S.
Martínez Gómez perceived the emails as acts of intimidation, indicating the unsettling impact of such automated communications when they appear so official and threatening.
The lack of a response mechanism left him feeling frustrated and confused, as he was unable to seek clarification about the email he received.
As a resident near the border, Martínez Gómez typically carries his U.S. passport card for ease of crossing into Tijuana.
Now, he has added his birth certificate to his travel essentials as a precaution.
Both Peña and Martínez Gómez stand as reminders of the precariousness surrounding immigration in the U.S. today, reflecting on their experiences as advocates caught in a system fraught with mistakes.
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