Deportation Notices Spark Confusion as Temporary Legal Status Revoked for Hundreds of Thousands

In a sweeping policy shift, the Trump administration has begun quietly revoking temporary legal status for individuals who entered the United States under a Biden-era immigration program.

The move has led to widespread confusion, with even US citizens reporting that they received mistaken deportation emails from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

At the center of the controversy is the CBP One app, an online platform launched under President Biden that allowed individuals to schedule appointments at US border crossings. Beginning in January 2023, this system facilitated the legal entry of over 900,000 people, many of whom were granted two-year permits.

Since late March, the administration has begun canceling those permits with limited public announcement or formal explanation. Unlike the Trump administration’s previous high-profile attempts to end protections like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or humanitarian parole programs, these terminations came without official notices in the Federal Register or press releases. Some recipients of the cancellation emails were given seven days to depart the country, while others were told to leave immediately.

The impact has been far-reaching. Multiple US citizens, including immigration attorneys such as Hubert Montoya of Austin, Texas, and Harriet Steele of Los Angeles, reported receiving notices instructing them to leave the country. DHS later acknowledged that emails may have been misdirected due to individuals listing US citizen contacts during the application process.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which oversees the CBP One program, confirmed the issuance of termination notices but did not specify how many had been sent or how many individuals were affected. As of December 2024, the total number of CBP One beneficiaries stood at 936,000.

The policy change has also affected beneficiaries of other parole programs, including those from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. More than 500,000 people from these countries had entered the US under a humanitarian program that required financial sponsorship. A federal judge recently halted those deportations temporarily, pending legal challenges.

Immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations say the sudden notices have left many clients in a state of fear and uncertainty. Some migrants have already left the US voluntarily, unsure of their rights or legal options.

“It’s really confusing,” said Robyn Barnard, senior director for refugee advocacy at Human Rights First. “People are hearing from their communities that others are getting notices, and they don’t know if or when one will come for them.”

The American Immigration Lawyers Association issued an alert this month warning legal professionals about the notices, citing concerns about both mistaken recipients and unclear procedures for responding.

Critics of the administration argue that the approach combines administrative errors with a broader effort to create a climate of fear.

“The fact that we don’t know how many people got this notice is part of the problem,” said Hillary Li, legal counsel for the Justice Action Center.

Some attorneys also fear the administration may be targeting immigration lawyers specifically. Timothy J. Brenner, a Houston-based attorney and US citizen, was among those who received a deportation notice.

“I became concerned that the administration has a list of immigration attorneys or a database that they’re trying to target to harass,” he said.

While DHS has stated it is addressing misdirected notices on a case-by-case basis, questions remain about the broader scope and implementation of the new enforcement strategy.

For many affected individuals, the abrupt loss of legal status has disrupted their sense of security and upended their lives. Maria, a Nicaraguan woman living in Florida who entered legally and supported Trump’s campaign, described the email she received as “a bomb” that left her paralyzed with fear. Now, like others, she is preparing to seek asylum as her only remaining option.

With input from the Independent, the Associated Press, and Los Angeles Times.