A shocking email purportedly a deportation notice from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has left thousands of immigrants and residents perplexed as they fear for the worst in the wake of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.
The mass emails—allegedly sent to hundreds of thousands of residents—state that recipients' right to remain in the US has been revoked, and they must leave 'immediately' or face prosecution, with a deadline of seven days after receiving the email.
Shocking Notices Sent To The Vulnerable
The email, which was shared with Gothamist, threatened migrants to leave the country with hardly any explanation or timeline. 'It is time for you to leave the United States,' the email reads. Simply, DHS has said it is 'now exercising its discretion' to terminate parole without going into specifics.
'If you do not depart from the United States immediately, you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States,' the email states.
'Any benefits you receive in the United States connected with your parole—such as work authorisation—will also terminate. You will be subject to potential criminal prosecution, civil fines, and penalties, and any other lawful options available to the federal government. DHS encourages you to leave immediately on your own,' it adds.
The email ends with this chilling threat: 'Again, DHS is terminating your parole. Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you. Please depart the United States immediately.'
Migrants are encouraged to use the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app on their phones to plan and notify the government of their departure.
DHS Accused Of Creating Confusion
The emails follow the Trump administration's decision to terminate humanitarian parole granted to hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
'This parole offered temporary legal permission to reside in the US for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It had been a crucial avenue of relief for over 531,000 individuals by the end of last year,' according to MIRA Coalition. The move was announced in March and met with significant resistance.
Critics argue it would result in the deportation of people from countries experiencing humanitarian crises and reflects on alleged racial bias within the government. In fact, court filings have accused the administration of 'racial animus,' citing consistent racist rhetoric from both Trump and the Homeland Security Secretary.
A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the administration from ending the programme. However, DHS seems to be moving forward, triggering anxiety and creating confusion among migrant communities.
Erroneous Emails Trigger Anxiety Among Communities
Although the emails were sent to thousands of immigrants with parole, they were not meant to be received by all of them.
According to CBP spokesperson Steve Bansbach, the emails target only those 'who do not have legal status to remain.' He stressed that individuals granted parole under the 'Uniting for Ukraine' or 'Afghan Operation Allies Welcome' programmes are not affected by these emails.
Despite Bansbach's assurances, legal experts express concern about the implication of mass notifications. The common criticism has been about the memo which has no regard for the recipients' individual circumstances. At least three attorneys at Catholic Migration Services and several legal experts at Door—a youth organisation—have received these emails.
Bansbach acknowledged that the notices were dispatched to 'the known email addresses of the alien.' This means several notices reached unintended recipients because someone else's email was mistakenly provided to the CBP. Dismissing this oversight, Bansbach assured that CBP is addressing the situation on a case-by-case basis.
The volume of emails has led to a surge in calls from concerned recipients to immigration attorneys as some emails have been delivered to lawful US citizens.
Legal Experts Speak Against Emails
Hasan Shafiqullah of the 'Legal Aid Society' received one such email despite being a US citizen. Slamming DHS' decision, he emphasised that the notices were sent without an individualised assessment, raising questions about administrative competency and legal fairness.
'For them to do it in a mass email without individualising even the name, without individualising it to the person's circumstances is totally reckless and irresponsible,' Shafiqullah said.
He revealed that 15 US attorneys in New York have also received the same memo. One of them is Nicole Micheroni, a Massachusetts-based immigration lawyer who was born in the US. Micheroni received the memo on 11 April, initially believing the email was for a client before noticing that only her name was on it. Though deporting US citizens from the country is illegal, Micheroni is worried about the memo's implication.
'Hopefully, [it was] sent to me in error,' she told The Guardian. 'But it's a little concerning these are going out to US citizens.'
According to a DHS representative, it is possible that the email was sent to Micheroni because her clients' paperwork had her details on it. Still, Micheroni is not convinced that this was a mistake.
'I think it's a scare tactic,' she said.
Surge In Deportations
In Micheroni's state, Massachusetts, which has the largest workforce of immigrants, its economy is feeling the heat as they make up one in five workers in the state. Additionally, they contributed £15.4 billion ($20.4 billion) in taxes in 2023, including £1 billion ($1.4 billion) from undocumented households.
Despite immigrants' push to the US economy, deportations have surged under the Trump administration with ICE detaining around 14,000 individuals in a three-week span and making about 32,000 arrests within the first 50 days of the presidency.
In March, 12,300 migrants were deported. Records and reports said despite claims of targeting 'worst offenders,' many deportees have no criminal history, leading to a 500% increase in arrests of non-criminal immigrants between mid-January and late March this year.
Now the mass deportation emails have triggered fear among immigrants and citizens, reflecting significant flaws in immigration enforcement. The chaotic situation which is emerging amidst official threats highlights not only the emotional impact but also the dangers such policies can have on law-abiding US citizens and immigrants who follow due process and seek compassionate rehabilitation measures.
