Recently, a U.S. citizen revealed a concerning letter from the White House threatening him with deportation.
An experienced immigration attorney from San Diego and lifetime American, Aldo Martinez-Gomez, was taken aback to get a deportation notice from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on April 11. The letter told him to leave the nation within just seven days.
“I have lived my entire life in Chula Vista; I was born at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City,” Martinez-Gomez told Fox 40. “Where ought I to be going? San Diego County has always been home to me“.
“If you do not leave the United States immediately,” the letter said, “you may face law enforcement actions that could lead to your removal from the country.” “Do not attempt to remain in the United States—the federal government will find you,” it said, adding another ominous warning.
Martinez-Gomez ironically spends his days supporting others in immigration court in opposition to deportation orders. He was concerned about his safety, so he said, “always an ICE office nearby when I represent clients in court. Will I be arrested for aiding someone? Will they show up at my house”?
Martinez-Gomez’s sense of security was already compromised, as ABC 10 reports, even if a DHS official later recognised that such alerts might have gone to the incorrect persons. “I had to create backup plans with my mother, something I never considered necessary,” he said.
I am not looking for celebrity or attention. I only want to clarify this since I refuse to be one of the government’s mistakes.
Martinez-Gomez is not by himself in dealing with this disturbing problem. Immigration attorney Carmen Bello, who turned U.S. citizen in 2007, got a similar warning in Boston.
The letter said her “parole” had been cancelled and directed her to “Depart the United States immediately.” Should she ignore it, it cautioned her of possible “criminal prosecution, civil fines, and penalties.”
The message also advised utilising a mobile app to schedule her departure and indicated that she had originally entered the U.S. under a limited-time parole by DHS. Bello said, ” Unfortunately, this kind of mistaken notification is not uncommon; many people who were paroled by DHS have received similar letters.” Realising the warning was sent in error, She advised anyone receiving such concerning letters to see a lawyer before acting.
For some, though, what is only a clerical error has had life-changing results. According to CBS News, Maryland native Kilmar Abrego Garcia was unlawfully deported to El Salvador. Currently housed in Santa Ana under maximum security, his legal team works tirelessly to get him home.
Judge Paula Xinis of the U.S. District Court has condemned the Justice Department for its slow reaction in handling Garcia’s matter. “For weeks, defendants have covered behind nebulous claims of privilege… This ends now, she said with conviction. “They must provide thorough evidence to keep their claims.”
The latest developments on Abrego Garcia’s circumstances have been erratic and troubling. According to reports, he was moved from the infamous CECOT prison to a lower-security facility on April 9; U.S. authorities still listed him as incarcerated at CECOT days later.
Judge Xinis stressed, “Every day Mr. Abrego Garcia remains in CECOT adds to his suffering,” requiring depositions and expedited information from Trump administration officials engaged in the case.
As advised by the U.S. Embassy, Senator Chris Van Hollen recently visited Abrego Garcia and reported he is presently in “good conditions and in excellent health.”
These incidents underline how urgently our immigration system needs clarity and fairness. Thousands negotiate difficult immigration rules yearly; mistakes can harm individuals and families. It reminds us that behind every statistic are personal life experiences deserving of sympathy and empathy.