Confusion Grows as DHS Sends Deportation Notices to US Citizens/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Immigrants using the CBP One app are receiving abrupt deportation notices. Even U.S. citizens and attorneys have mistakenly received removal orders. The notices are creating panic and uncertainty among immigrants and advocates.
Deportation Orders Sent to Immigrants—and Some U.S. Citizens — Quick Looks
- Mistaken Notices: U.S. citizens and attorneys among recipients of DHS removal orders
- CBP One Confusion: Permit holders told to leave despite valid status
- No Formal Announcement: Revocations issued quietly, unlike prior immigration policy shifts
- Legal Fallout: Advocacy groups warn of disarray and chilling effects
- Fear Among Immigrants: Some have already fled the country voluntarily
- Federal Response: DHS says cases are being handled individually
Deportation Notices from DHS Sow Panic Among Immigrants—and Even Some U.S. Citizens
Deep Looks
McALLEN, Texas (April 23, 2025) — A wave of unexpected deportation orders has sparked confusion and fear among immigrants and even U.S. citizens, as the Trump administration moves to unwind a Biden-era program that granted temporary permits through the CBP One app.
“I just thought it was absurd,” said Hubert Montoya, an immigration attorney in Austin, Texas—and a U.S. citizen—after receiving the notice.
The glitch appears tied to the quiet revocation of CBP One permits, which had allowed over 900,000 migrants to live and work in the U.S. legally since January 2023. The revocations are happening without formal announcements, causing widespread alarm among immigrant communities and legal advocates.
Mass Revocation, Minimal Notice
The move to cancel CBP One permits follows other high-profile immigration rollbacks, such as the attempted rescission of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole programs for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. But unlike those efforts—which were met with legal challenges and public notice—revocations via CBP One are being issued without warning, some instructing recipients to leave within seven days.
“Notices are being sent with no transparency,” said Hillary Li, counsel for the Justice Action Center. “We don’t know how many people have received them, or why.”
CBP confirmed in a statement that some notices may have been misdirected due to applicants listing U.S. citizens—such as attorneys or sponsors—as contacts. Those cases are being addressed “individually,” the agency said.
Still, the repercussions have already been felt. Timothy J. Brenner, a Connecticut-born attorney in Houston, said he received a deportation notice on April 11:
“I became concerned that the administration has a list of immigration attorneys it’s using to harass.”
Immigrants in Limbo
Some affected migrants, overwhelmed by the notices and lacking legal clarity, have already left the country voluntarily. Brenner says three of his clients returned to El Salvador shortly after receiving emails instructing them to leave.
Others remain in a state of shock, unsure if they are still protected under previous DHS guidelines.
“It’s really confusing,” said Robyn Barnard, of Human Rights First. “People are hearing secondhand in WhatsApp groups that their friends got a notice—but they didn’t. It’s chaos.”
Even for those whose permits remain valid, the uncertainty is deeply unsettling. Many had believed they were safe from removal until their permits expired. Instead, the emails began with blunt language:
“It is time for you to leave the United States.”
Policy Shift, Personal Impact
The Trump administration suspended CBP One access for new arrivals on Day 1 of the new term. However, many of the 936,000 already in the U.S. assumed they could stay under the original two-year terms granted through the program.
“The sense of stability has vanished,” said Barnard.
Maria, a 48-year-old Nicaraguan house cleaner in Florida who came via CBP One and supported Trump, received a notice in early April.
“It was like a bomb. It paralyzed me,” she said.
She plans to remain in the U.S. and file for asylum, despite her fear of being detained or deported.
Legal Challenges and Uncertainty
In some cases, recipients of the notices may still qualify for legal protections, including asylum or stays under previous court rulings. A federal judge in Massachusetts, for instance, temporarily halted deportations for over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Yet attorneys say that unclear eligibility rules and abrupt policy reversals are discouraging people from asserting their rights.
“These aren’t hardened criminals,” said attorney Cyrus Mehta. “These are students, workers, families. People who followed the process and now find themselves abandoned by it.”
As CBP continues reviewing affected cases “on a case-by-case basis,” immigrant advocates are demanding greater transparency, clear guidance, and accountability from DHS.
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