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Lisa Anderson, who practices in Cromwell, Connecticut, told NBC News that she was one of several people who received notices from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instructing them to “self-deport” or face federal deportation.
"It's time for you to leave the United States," the email opened, but the 58-year-old Anderson was born in Pennsylvania, according to the report.
Other U.S. citizens have received similar warnings. Nicole Micheroni, a Massachusetts-born immigration attorney, said the DHS ordered her to leave the U.S. "immediately" after her "parole" was terminated, she told WCVB.
Micheroni was born at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, grew up in Sharon, and graduated from Wellesley College — all in Massachusetts.
Homeland Security officials told MSNBC the errors can happen when immigrants provide false email addresses to authorities. The agency said it would review each case individually.
"To be clear: If you are an alien, being in the United States is a privilege — not a right," officials told the outlet. "We are acting in the best interest of the country and enforcing the law accordingly."
Anderson isn't taking any chances. She told NBC she now carries her passport at all times and is seeking legal help.
“I really have no idea how my email ended up on that list unless someone else was using that as a false email,” Anderson told WVIT. “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.”
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