Mass. immigration lawyer, a US citizen, ordered by DHS to leave the country (2025)

An immigration lawyer born in Massachusetts and a U.S. citizen received a notice from the federal government on Friday telling her to get out of the country.

“It is time for you to leave the United States,” states an email from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent to Nicole Micheroni, an attorney with the Boston-based firm Cameron Micheroni & Silvia.

Micheroni shared the letter on the social media site Bluesky and it informs her that she has seven days until her parole is terminated, even though she is a citizen.

“Probably, hopefully, sent to me in error,” the 40-year-old attorney told NBC Boston. “But it’s a little concerning these are going out to U.S. citizens.”

At first glance, Micheroni thought the email was intended for one of her clients, but after looking closer, the letter only named her.

“The language in the email is very threatening,” she told the outlet. “And it looks kind of like a sketchy spam email. It doesn’t look like an official government notice, but it is.”

Micheroni did not immediately return a request for comment on Sunday.

She told WIRED, a technology magazine, that she did not believe she would be deported in seven days, but found it concerning “the level of care they’re using to send these out.”

A senior DHS official provided MassLive with a statement on Sunday that said Customs and Border Protection is sending notices about parole termination for people who do not have lawful status to remain.

“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,” DHS said.

“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," the statement said.

Micheroni said she felt scared about the situation. “It says they’re not being careful,” she told NBC Boston.

In her social media post, she tried to make light of the letter and wrote, “Does anyone know if you can get Italian citizenship through great-grandparents?”

The letter warns that if Micheroni does not depart the U.S. “immediately,” she could be “subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States.”

“DHS encourages you leave immediately on your own,” the letter states.

Micheroni said she won’t reach out to Homeland Security and chalked it up to an administrative error during her interview with NBC Boston.

“I think it’s a scare tactic,” she said. “I think they want people afraid of immigration.”

Last week, the Trump administration began canceling the parole for migrants who were allowed into the country using the CBP One app since January 2023, the Associated Press reported. While it’s unclear how many beneficiaries would be affected, the government urged migrants to self-deport immediately.

The CBP One app allowed migrants to schedule appointments at legal ports of entry instead of crossing the border illegally to seek asylum, according to NPR.

A federal judge said on Thursday she would prevent the Trump administration from ordering more than 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela with temporary legal status to leave the country later this month.