DHS error sends deportation notice to Massachusetts immigration attorney

Micheroni says the email had threatening language but turned out to be an error

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A US citizen and immigration attorney in Massachusetts received an erroneous email from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instructing her to leave the country within seven days, raising concerns over administrative errors in federal immigration notices.

Nicole Micheroni, a 40-year-old attorney born in Newton and raised in Sharon, said the email from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) appeared in her inbox on Friday and was addressed solely to her.

It stated that her parole status had been terminated and instructed her to depart the U.S. immediately.

“At first I thought it was for a client,” she told NBC10 Boston. “But it said my name and that I had to leave.”

Micheroni, who represents immigrants facing deportation, noted that her email appears on many immigration documents. She called the message “threatening” in tone and expressed concern that it had been sent to a U.S. citizen.

“This is really scary,” she said. “It suggests they’re not being careful.”

In response to media inquiries, a senior DHS official said that CBP is issuing parole termination notices to individuals without lawful status, and in some cases, emails may be misdirected if an incorrect contact address is provided by an immigrant.

“CBP is monitoring communications and will address any issues on a case-by-case basis,” the official said.

Micheroni posted about the incident on social media, receiving widespread attention and support. She said she would not contact DHS directly and believes the email was likely a bureaucratic mistake.

Her experience comes as a federal judge reviews the Trump administration’s broader efforts to revoke parole status from hundreds of thousands of immigrants, including family members of U.S. military personnel and Ukrainian nationals displaced by the war.

Micheroni warned that such errors risk undermining public confidence in immigration procedures. “I think they want people afraid of immigration,” she added.