An American citizen born and raised in California is unsettled after receiving an e-mail from the US Department of Homeland Security ordering him to leave the country "immediately."
Aldo Martinez-Gomez received the DHS notice on April 11, threatening "criminal prosecution" and fines if he does not depart within seven days.
"Do not attempt to remain in the United States - The federal government will find you," the e-mail warned.
"Where do they want me to go?" Martinez-Gomez told KTLA. "I was born in National City. I was raised in San Diego County my whole life."
Martinez-Gomez works full-time assisting immigrants in court for a non-profit and believes his advocacy work may have placed him on the government's radar.
"I believe I received it because I'm an accredited representative, and I represent immigrants, and I advocate for immigrants' rights in the court," he told ABC 10News.
Despite providing his birth certificate to prove his US citizenship, Martinez-Gomez says he has been forced to make contingency plans with family members and now worries about being detained while performing his job.
"I'm not seeking fame or attention, I just want to bring light to this issue because I'm not trying to be one of the government's mistakes," he told KTLA.
A Massachusetts immigration attorney reported receiving a similar e-mail last week.
In a statement, a senior DHS official said notices may have been accidentally sent to US citizens if their contact information was submitted by migrants — calling it a case of "unintended recipients." The agency insisted it would address such issues individually.
The statement provided little comfort to Martinez-Gomez. "I do get nervous," he said. "They have been talking about deporting U.S. citizens, so it is a concern."
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