Utah immigration lawyer directed to self-deport despite being a citizen

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah immigration attorney, who has been a naturalized U.S. citizen for more than a decade, has been ordered by the federal government to leave the country.

Carlos Trujillo, received an email from the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month advising him to depart the United States immediately or, “you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States.”

Listen to the interview with Utah immigration attorney, Carlos Trujillo below.

 

Trujillo joined Utah’s Morning News to talk about his ordeal. 

Utah immigration attorney receives orders to self-deport

“I got an email saying that it’s time for me to leave the United States — that my parole, which I do not have, because I’m a naturalized citizen, has been revoked, and it has some other threatening language on it,” he said. 

Trujillo, originally from Venezuela, expressed shock and confusion over the letter, which he believes may have been sent in error.

“The first suspicion is, well, I am an immigration attorney, maybe it is about one of my clients, but there was no other name in the email,” Trujillo said. “After that, it has been kind of dealing with that chill that goes down to your spine when you realize that these kind of mistakes are happening.

“And not only on an email, but there could be a mistake also on a detention and your thoughts kind of get a hold of you with all the wild things that are happening nowadays,” he said.

Misuse of authority?

The incident has raised concerns among immigration advocates about the potential misuse of federal authority.

Utah immigration attorney Carlos Trujillo isn’t the only person the federal government is telling to leave the country.

“Nothing surprising anymore,” said immigration attorney Adam Crayk. “It seems like it’s becoming a pattern.”

According to Crayk the message is most commonly getting sent to people who legally entered the country through a humanitarian parole program which includes people from Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Hundreds of people in Utah have this parole status, and they’re now faced with the decision of staying or going back to a potentially dangerous situation in their home countries. 

Crayk thinks it’s possible the government’s software flagged Trujillo because he’s from Venezuela.

“The only (logical conclusion) is that being a Venezuelan tips off the technology to send the notice out without actually vetting,” said Crayk. 

What about due process?

According to Trujillo those targeted for deportation are not given enough time to get due process.

“So that case I have dealt with — a lot of movement that the government (has) done to remove people, without due process,” he said. “Now what I have been following is that they are not really given them any reasonable time.

“I believe in a hearing yesterday, it actually was said that it’s about 24 hours, which is unthinkable,” Trujillo said.

The Utah immigration attorney explained once people are notified that they are being deported under the Alien Enemies Act, people need time to contact family and an attorney.

“(The attorney) can file what is called a habeas corpus action so that they can stop that deportation and give you a time to explain why you shouldn’t be tagged or categorized as a gang member,” he said.

“It’s unheard of and that is definitely not a reasonable time according to what the Supreme Court was intending to do.”