An immigration lawyer criticized the Trump administration after receiving a mistaken, alarming email falsely notifying her of deportation.
An immigration lawyer named Nicole Micheroni recently had a shocking experience.
She received an email from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that said she was being deported from the United States.
This was surprising because she was born in the U.S. and is a citizen.
Immigration lawyer criticizes Trump administration after receiving incorrect email about her own deportation
On April 11, 2025, Micheroni opened an email with the title “Notification of Termination of Parole.”
Initially, she thought the email was for a client. However, upon reading the message, she realized it was meant for her.
The email did not include any case number or client name, which added to her confusion.
The message alarmed her. It warned that the federal government would find her if she stayed in the country.
The message stated: “It is time for you to leave the United States. DHS is terminating your parole. Do not attempt to remain in the United States – the federal government will find you.”
Micheroni, who is a partner at a law firm in Massachusetts, explained how unsettling the email was.
She said it took her a few minutes to realize that the email was not meant for one of her clients but was mistakenly sent to her.
She described the email as looking like a “sketchy spam email,” even though it was official.
“It doesn’t look like an official government notice, but it is,” Micheroni told NBC News. “I think it’s really scary this is going on.”
The Trump administration admits the mistake
The DHS later confirmed it mistakenly sent the email to Micheroni.
This incident raised concerns about how the government communicates with people regarding deportation.
Micheroni believes this mistake is an example of the Trump administration’s lack of carefulness in how they use intimidation tactics against immigrants.
The larger issues included the email.
The email was not just a simple error. It was part of a larger issue regarding how the government handles deportation.
Sarah Sherman-Stokes, an associate director at Boston University’s Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Clinic, noted that the majority of such emails were sent to asylum seekers.
These individuals were using the CBP One app, which allows them to schedule appointments related to their immigration status.
The DHS claimed that the Biden administration misused parole authority to allow many undocumented immigrants into the U.S.
“Cancelling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” it added.
Nicole Micheroni worries about other immigrants.
Although Micheroni did not worry about the email, she concerns herself for her clients and other migrants.
She understands that such emails use threatening language to intimidate people.
“I never took DHS’s scary-sounding notice that I had seven days to leave the country too seriously, because it was obviously some kind of mistake,” Micheroni said.
“It’s meant to be an intimidation tactic to get people to leave the country. In some ways, I don’t think they really care who they reach, as long as the message is being received.”