In an unusual scenario, a Utah immigration attorney who is a naturalized U.S. citizen has been ordered by the Department of Homeland Security to "self-deport" or face legal repercussions. Carlos Trujillo is reported to have received a perplexing email earlier this month, advising him of an immediate departure from the United States, entailing threats of law enforcement actions that could result in his removal, as detailed by KSL NewsRadio. The attorney has affirmed his citizenship status, having been a US citizen for over 15 years, prompting confusion and concerns over the motive behind such a directive.
According to KUTV, Trujillo expressed his shock at the notice, which incorrectly stated that his parole had ended, a condition not applicable to him as he had not been paroled into the country. “They are trying to instill fear - that is really why they sent the letter,” said Trujillo. His colleague Chris Vizcardo explained that the email was likely intended for individuals under the Biden administration's CHVN parole program.
The emails in question are part of the Trump Administration's ongoing campaign promise focused on mass deportations. However, targeting lawful residents, such as in Trujillo's case, has raised significant legal and moral concerns. Jim McConkie, a lawyer with decades of experience, including time with the Justice Department, denounced the action in an interview with ABC4. McConkie stated, “The part of this that is unimaginable to a lawyer who’s practiced for 50 years, and some of those years in the Justice Department. The United States government has sent out a letter to people who are lawfully in our country, making it seem as though they’re not. It’s a letter that misrepresents what’s going on and is intended as a scare tactic to get out of the country, with threats of fines and incarceration. It’s wrong morally, it’s wrong legally, and it needs to be challenged.”
The Department of Homeland Security has yet to publicly clarify or rectify the situation, leaving the lawyer and the community to question the reliability of the administration's immigration enforcement strategies. The broad stroke approach to issuing such notices has seemingly ensnared even those who are legitimately part of the fabric of America's citizenry. This incident serves to starkly highlight the chasm that can manifest when policy pursuits aim to broadly enforce without due attention to individual cases.
