California Man Ordered to Leave the U.S. 'Immediately' Despite Providing Birth Certificate: 'I'm Not Trying to Be One of the Government's Mistakes'

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."