CROMWELL, CT — A Connecticut-based physician is searching for legal representation after receiving an alarming email from the Department of Homeland Security ordering her to leave the country — despite being a U.S. citizen born in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Lisa Anderson, 58, a longtime resident of Cromwell, said the message appeared in her inbox last week.
The subject line was clear: “It is time for you to leave the United States.” Anderson, who has no known involvement in immigration matters, was left shocked and unsettled.
“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 NBC Connecticut affiliate 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.”
Anderson is not the only person confused by recent emails from Homeland Security.
Two immigration attorneys in Massachusetts — Nicole Micheroni and Carmen Bello — also received similar self-deportation instructions, warning them that “the federal government will find you” if they failed to leave voluntarily. Like Anderson, both attorneys are U.S. citizens.
The emails referenced the expiration of “immigration parole,” a temporary status that allows certain migrants to live and work in the U.S. for up to two years.
The Biden administration’s parole program is currently being phased out under new federal directives, though it is not applicable to citizens or legal residents.
While DHS acknowledged that Micheroni’s email was sent in error, she reported being unable to get clarification from officials. The agency has not publicly commented on Anderson’s situation.
Anderson says her legal team advised her to carry her passport at all times. The incident has left her disoriented and concerned about how her contact information was linked to the issue.
