Mass Deportation Threat Emails Sent Across the U.S.

In May 2025, hundreds of thousands of immigrants received emails from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), demanding that they leave the country within seven days. Previously, such notifications were sent via paper mail, but the agency has now shifted to a digital format. This change has drastically expanded the reach of these messages and triggered a wave of complaints from lawyers, immigrants, and even U.S. citizens, according to The Washington Post.

In some cases, recipients reported receiving dozens of messages per day. One asylum seeker from Guatemala claimed to have received 160 such notifications within 12 days. Immigrants, attorneys, and even U.S. citizens stated that they received emails regardless of their immigration status, and some email providers automatically flagged them as spam. In one instance, a deportation notice was sent to an immigration attorney; in another, to a U.S. citizen entirely unrelated to any immigration case. The mass mailing campaign urging "self-deportation" has caused "shock and confusion" among recipients.

Human rights organizations describe the situation as "state-sponsored spam" and a "new form of pressure" on asylum seekers. According to the American Immigration Council, these letters carry no legal weight but may push individuals into rash decisions, such as leaving the country before their immigration proceedings conclude—resulting in automatic case dismissal.

AP News reported that the Department of Homeland Security has admitted to mistakenly sending some of the notifications and has launched an internal review. However, the mass email campaign has not been officially suspended at the time of publication.

Earlier, the Trump administration announced the launch of a voluntary return initiative called “Project Repatriation.” Under this program, undocumented immigrants are offered $1,000 and a free airline ticket in exchange for leaving the country. Registration is done through a dedicated app previously used for asylum applications. The Guardian reports the program is marketed as a humane alternative to deportation. Participants are promised temporary exemption from detention and a potential pathway for legal reentry in the future. However, immigration attorneys warn that voluntary departure may eliminate the possibility of asylum or legal status. Experts argue that "Project Repatriation" is more of an administrative pressure tool than a true legalization pathway.

Simultaneously, a bill has been introduced in Congress proposing sharp increases in immigration processing fees. The initiative would require asylum applicants to pay $1,000, work permit applicants $550, and sponsors of unaccompanied minors up to $8,500. These changes could significantly restrict access to legal remedies for vulnerable groups, including refugees and children.

According to data from TRAC at Syracuse University, there were 3.7 million cases pending in U.S. immigration courts in 2024 Axios reports. At the current pace, resolving them could take up to four years. Trump’s mass deportation plan references 11 million individuals, which could take as long as 16 years. Approval rates for immigration applications remain under 35%. In this context, the widespread email campaign demanding people to leave within seven days appears to be an attempt to reduce system backlog through informal means, without changing immigration law.

Legal experts note that even seasoned professionals struggle to interpret USCIS actions. Increasingly, attorneys must communicate directly with USCIS officers to resolve cases. This practice, according to experts, destabilizes the agency’s operations and undermines public trust in the immigration system.

Lawyers strongly advise against taking any action upon receiving such emails without professional legal counsel. Even a message that reads “Leave the U.S. within seven days” does not constitute a deportation order and carries no automatic legal consequences—provided the case is still under review.