Judge Gives Trump Administration Three Weeks to Fix Deported Babson Student’s Removal
Federal Judge Richard Stearns gave the Trump administration three weeks to explain how it will return Any Lucía López Belloza, mistakenly deported back to Honduras.
Overview
Any Lucía López Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College freshman, was detained in Boston and deported to Honduras; she is now staying with grandparents and studying remotely.
A federal judge in Boston ordered the Trump administration to "rectify the mistake" within 21 days and suggested the State Department could issue a student visa to facilitate her return.
Lopez Belloza was held at Logan Airport on Nov. 20 while traveling to Texas for Thanksgiving; a Nov. 21 emergency court order barred removal, but she was moved and deported the next day.
Government lawyers apologized, citing an ICE officerrror in failing to flag the court order; officials maintain removal followed an immigration judge's 2016 order and appellate dismissal in 2017.
The deportation has left Lopez Belloza and her family traumatized and fearful of ICE; her lawyer seeks judicial or administrative remedies to restore her ability to return and resume studies.
Analysis
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Sources (4)
FAQ
She was detained by ICE at Boston's Logan Airport on November 20 while heading to Texas for Thanksgiving, despite an emergency court order on November 21 barring her removal; an ICE officer failed to flag the order, leading to her deportation to Honduras the next day.
Federal Judge Richard Stearns ordered the administration to explain within 21 days (three weeks) how it will rectify the mistaken deportation, suggesting options like issuing a student visa.
The government argues it followed a 2016 immigration judge's removal order for López Belloza and her mother, upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2017, and that she could have pursued further appeals.
The 19-year-old Babson College freshman is staying with grandparents in Honduras, studying remotely, and was recently visiting an aunt in El Salvador; she is not detained.
Her lawyer is requesting a plan within 14 days, including options like return for immigration proceedings, pursuing a pending T visa for human trafficking victims, or a student visa despite complications from the removal order.
History
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