“I don’t have anything to do with immigration and I never thought that I would have needed the services of an immigration attorney either, and that’s where I find myself.”
A Connecticut physician reportedly received an email from the Department of Homeland Security ordering her out of the country.
Dr. Lisa Anderson told WVIT that the message she received last week said, “It is time for you to leave the United States.” The 58-year-old was born in Pennsylvania and lives in Cromwell, CT.
She is now looking to hire an immigration attorney to clear up the confusion and find out what landed her on the Department of Homeland Security’s radar.
Anderson told the outlet, “I really have no idea how my email ended up on that list unless someone else was using that as a false email. I don’t have anything to do with immigration and I never thought that I would have needed the services of an immigration attorney either, and that’s where I find myself.”
Two Massachusetts immigration attorneys also received the same email and found it strange that DHS had their addresses, because their clients must supply their own when communicating with the agency. However, their emails were related to their cases and noted on case paperwork.
Boston-area immigration attorney Nicole Micheroni was ordered to leave the US last week or “the federal government will find you.” Just a few days later, another Boston-area immigration attorney, Carmen Bello, was also told by DHS to self-deport.
Both were told their immigration parole was expiring. However, the accusation doesn’t apply to either of them. The parole program allows non-citizens to stay and work in the US for up to two years while they wait for their case to be heard.
DHS said in a statement that Micheroni received the email in error but she hasn’t been able to reach the agency to clear up the confusion. She told the outlet that emails don’t constitute a deportation order but recommended that anyone who receives them consult legal counsel.
Anderson told WVIT, “The language seemed pretty threatening to whomever it might actually apply to. It does make me concerned there’re a lot more people out there like me who probably also thought this was spam, who probably didn’t realize, ‘I have a problem.’”
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