Authorities: Fraudulent deportation letters are being sent to Chelsea residents

CHELSEA, Mass. — Chelsea Police are asking for the public’s help after residents reported fraudulent deportation letters were being sent out.

The headline starts with, “Notice of removal from the homeland security.”

Police say this letter, which is fake, is extremely concerning to them.

Outside of one of Chelsea’s pop up food pantries on Thursday night, the line was wrapped around the block. Parents waiting in line with their small children so they could put food on the table for them.

“Our community moment of the housing crisis, no food, no jobs,” said Sylvia Ramirez, with Chelsea Collaborative.

The struggle after the pandemic in this immigrant city is still so real, and to add to it, a fake letter about deportation is now going around to residents.

“Our community doesn’t need this right now,” said Ramirez.

Sylvia Ramirez says they are now warning people at the pantry about this fake letter, with a Homeland Security letterhead.

Real letters contain either the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services or Immigration (USCIS) and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) letterheads.

“It doesn’t have a signature or toll free number, or anything like that,” said Ramirez.

The letter says, “The U.S. department of homeland security is aware of your unlawful presence and employment in this country. We have surveillance of you at your residence and employment, we order you to leave the country immediately on your own, or we will deploy a swat team to extract you.”

“These letters have been circulating for the last couple of weeks,” said Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes.

Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes says at least a dozen of these fraudulent letters or similar ones were sent to households across the city.

“The rationale behind it, why would someone put this together - we don’t know at this point,” said Kyes.

“Maybe because we have so many immigrants, and the city that had the most COVID-19 patients?” said Ramirez.

Police are asking the public, to please come forward. Police are working with several other local and federal agencies to find the suspects who are sending these letters out.

Cox Media Group