Two American immigration lawyers have been left stunned after receiving official deportation notices from the US government, despite both being US citizens. Nicole Micheroni, a 40-year-old immigration attorney from Massachusetts, told MSNBC she was ordered by federal authorities to leave the country within seven days.
The email, which came from a no-reply address, stated that her “parole” — a term used in immigration law for temporary legal presence — had been terminated. It warned her that if she didn’t “deport the United States immediately,” she could face law enforcement action.
At first, Micheroni thought it might be a joke. “I kind of laughed at first, and then I was like, wait a minute,” she said. “This is very concerning.”
The message didn’t even include a name or case number — just a generic threat and an ominous deadline. The email went to her work address, which made things even more confusing, since it didn’t resemble the usual communications she receives about clients.
As of Tuesday, she said she still hadn’t heard anything from the Department of Homeland Security to clear up the mix-up. “The process is a mess right now,” Micheroni said. “DHS is not being careful.”
A senior Homeland Security official later explained that the notice likely came from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which has been sending out parole termination emails to people without lawful status in the US. If someone mistakenly listed a work email — such as their lawyer’s contact — the message could have landed in the wrong inbox.
“CBP used the known email addresses of the alien to send notifications,” the official said. “If a non-personal email — such as an American citizen contact — was provided by the alien, notices may have been sent to unintended recipients.”
But Micheroni wasn’t alone. Another Boston-based immigration lawyer, Carmen Bello, also received the same message, ordering her to leave the country. And like Micheroni, she’s also a US citizen.
The errors have raised serious questions about the accuracy and oversight of immigration enforcement systems. For professionals who work every day to help people navigate the immigration process, receiving a wrongful deportation notice is more than just ironic — it’s a worrying sign that even the system’s own experts aren’t safe from its chaos.