In a disquieting turn of events, Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College student, was deported to Honduras despite a court order halting her removal. The student was detained at Boston Logan International Airport as she was about to board a flight to spend Thanksgiving in Texas with her family, according to AA.
Lopez Belloza, who has been in the US since the age of 8, had her travel plans abruptly canceled by immigration officials. A federal judge had issued an emergency order a few hours after her detention, which was meant to prevent her deportation and require that she not be moved from Massachusetts. However, CBS Austin reports that, despite the order, the student was transferred to Texas that same evening and then deported to Honduras the following day.
The detainment and subsequent deportation of Lopez Belloza occurred despite a statement from her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, who claimed to have a court decision stating, "she shall not be removed from Massachusetts, but more importantly, she shall not be removed from the United States of America until we get to the bottom of why she was detained in the first place.” Pomerleau, as reported by CBS Austin, described the incident as "an unconstitutional bag job" and expressed his determination to fight until they "have an explanation for this egregious violation of her rights."
Despite having a planned return to Babson College for her finals, Lopez Belloza's academic pursuits have been involuntarily interrupted. A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Lopez Belloza's removal to ABC News, stating she had a deportation order from 2015. Meanwhile, efforts to reach Lopez Belloza have not been successful, and as community members and college students question the abrupt action against the young student, her attorney prepares for further legal measures to secure her return to the United States.
