An immigration attorney and naturalized citizen in Utah received an order from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to self-deport from the United States immediately.
Carlos Trujillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen, said he believes the message was sent to him by mistake—but it still left him stunned when it showed up in his inbox on April 11.
“I know the laws of this country,” Trujillo told Nexstar’s KTVX. “I am not leaving. I am not deportable. But I do want everybody to know that these kinds of things are happening.”
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump vowed to deport millions of illegal immigrants as a central element of his mass deportation agenda.
Since assuming office in January, his administration has revoked the legal protections of individuals who entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole, instructing them to leave the country voluntarily. Amid widespread enforcement operations, reports have surfaced indicating that U.S. citizens—including immigration lawyers, medical professionals and refugee advocates—have received deportation notices.
What To Know
Trujillo told KTVX the “threatening language” of the email concerned him and noted that many of the people who received the email are in the country legally.
A similar email was distributed to hundreds of thousands of people across the United States.
The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the incident appeared to be a glitch related to the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back a Joe Biden-era policy that had permitted individuals to live and work in the U.S. temporarily.
But Trujillo has lived in the U.S. for about 24 years and has been a naturalized citizen for nearly a decade. He told KTVX he has practiced law for around 13 years and has focused on immigration law with Trujillo Acosta Law for approximately 11 of those years.
“I have gone through all the processes that I needed to go through to become a naturalized citizen,” Trujillo said. “And I have been around my community and the needs that they have, and that’s kind of why I decided to be there for them and help them out in this journey.”
Among the dozens of unexpected self-deportation notices sent by email to individuals was Nicole Micheroni, a U.S. citizen and partner at Cameron Law Offices in Massachusetts, who previously told Newsweek she was not under parole and didn’t believe the message was a scam.
“It is time for you to leave the United States,” the message began, adding, “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.”
She said she viewed it as a troubling reflection of the Trump administration’s broad and aggressive approach to deportation. Pamela Rioles Saeed, another immigration attorney and Boston native, also expressed shock after receiving a similar notice from DHS.
Aldo Martinez-Gomez, a San Diego County resident who was born in California and has spent most of his life in the South Bay, also recently received an email from the Department of Homeland Security instructing him to leave the country immediately.
DHS said that Customs and Border Protection sent notifications using the email addresses provided by individuals in their records. In cases where a non-personal email—such as one belonging to a U.S. citizen—was listed, the notice may have been sent to someone other than the intended recipient. CBP said it is monitoring the situation and will handle any problems individually.
What People Are Saying
A senior DHS official told Newsweek: “CBP has issued notices terminating parole for individuals who do not have lawful status to remain. This process is not limited to CBP One users and does not currently apply to those paroled under programs such as U4U and OAW.
“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.
“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.”
“Child molesters. Rapists. Murderers. These are just a few of the illegal alien scumbags who have been fined, imprisoned, and deported thanks to President Trump,” said Secretary Kristi Noem in a recent DHS commercial. “President Trump and I have a clear message to those in our country illegally: LEAVE NOW. If you do not self-deport, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and deport you. Download the FREE CBP Home app today to self-deport.”
“The laws do not require a person to self-report, or to self-deport. You don’t have to buy a plane ticket,” immigration attorney Christopher Vizcardo told KTVX. “You have to have a deportation order from a judge for you to leave the United States. And 98% of the people that were in this program are not in that boat.”
“I don’t want to believe or draw conclusions that this is something personal against me or because of the work that I do with the community,” Trujillo said. “It’s just simply a mistake.”
What Happens Next
It is expected more legal residents around the country have received this email.
