Some immigrants legally in the U.S. and living in Columbus ordered to leave
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Immigrants legally living in Columbus — and some of their attorneys — received emails last month from the federal government ordering them to leave the country within a week or face criminal prosecution and removal.
Why it matters: The recipients are on humanitarian parole, a temporary status granted to people fleeing their home countries that grants work permits and protects them from deportation for two years.
- The Trump administration says it's revoking the Biden-era program and moving forward with deportations, despite a federal judge temporarily blocking the move on April 14.
The latest: Nearly three weeks later, immigrants and attorneys have little clarification, and the conflicting information leaves immigrants in limbo.
Threat level: Emails sent April 11 say parole and "any benefits" will be terminated, and warn of prosecution and fines.
- Their opening line: "It is time for you to leave the United States."
What they're saying: Vincent Wells, staff attorney with Community Refugee & Immigration Services, tells Axios many of the organization's clients have received the notices.
- "The federal government is saying one thing and then the courts are saying another thing," Wells says. "It really requires a lot of reading and a lot of legal advice."
Case in point: The administration still says it has ended the humanitarian parole program.
- A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services release from Tuesday celebrating Trump's first 100 days says, "Approximately 531,000 aliens have been notified of the termination of their parole" per "the administration's goal of terminating categorical programs that run contrary to U.S. policy."
The intrigue: Wells worries many immigrants were erroneously ordered to "self-deport."
- Ohio-born American Wells, like some other immigration attorneys, was also told to leave, along with another CRIS attorney.
- "I can personally speak to the lack of accuracy with these emails because I have, myself, received two emails terminating my parole status — of which I do not have as a U.S. citizen — and telling me that it was time for me to leave the United States. That's kind of where we're at with this situation."
The other side: Despite the judge's ruling, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin claims DHS secretary Kristi Noem "has full authority" to revoke parole and tells Axios in an email that those who refuse to self-deport "will be found, removed, and permanently barred from reentry."
- McLaughlin did not reply to questions about the judge's April 14 ruling, but admitted that "notices may have been sent to unintended recipients" if an immigrant had used an email address associated with someone else.