What was intended to be a surprise visit for Thanksgiving with her family turned into a harrowing deportation for 19-year-old college student Any Lucía López Belloza. She was detained at Boston airport and removed from the United States within 48 hours, despite a federal order prohibiting her deportation while her case was under judicial review.
This incident, brought to light by CNN, has sparked outrage over the treatment of López Belloza, a first-year student at Babson College, a well-regarded business school. She planned to travel to Texas on November 20th to surprise her parents and younger sisters when federal agents apprehended her due to an issue with her boarding pass.
Detention and Rapid Deportation
According to her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, López Belloza was surrounded, handcuffed, and forcibly removed from the airport while heading to customer service. She was then taken to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office.
Within the next 48 hours, she was transferred to Texas and subsequently deported to Honduras, a country she hadn't visited since she was 7 years old. Her family had arrived in the U.S. seeking asylum, and the deportation violated a federal judicial order that blocked her removal while her arrest was under legal examination.
Legal Dispute Over Deportation Order
The Department of Homeland Security informed CNN that a deportation order was issued in 2015, and claimed López Belloza has been unlawfully in the country since then. However, Pomerleau disputes this, stating there is no evidence of such an order, and official records indicate the case was closed in 2017.
"I'm still not convinced that there was ever a deportation order... she was shown no proof," Pomerleau asserted.
Educational Aspirations in Jeopardy
The student endured detention in several facilities in Massachusetts and Texas, where she was shackled before being sent to Honduras. "She was placed on a plane and deported to a country she hadn't seen in 12 years. It is unacceptable," Pomerleau told CNN.
López Belloza was in her first semester at Babson College on a scholarship, pursuing a degree to help her father start a tailor shop someday. "He made her custom suits for interviews and internships," Pomerleau explained. She had hoped to embrace her family and share her academic successes, but now finds herself at her grandparents' home in San Pedro Sula, with her educational future uncertain.
"I worked very hard to attend Babson. That was my dream," she told The Boston Globe.
Her legal team is preparing an appeal to demand her return to the U.S. "We will ask the federal judge to order her return, as this is a blatant violation of her due process rights," Pomerleau warned.
Key Questions About López Belloza's Deportation
Why was Any Lucía López Belloza deported?
López Belloza was deported due to an alleged deportation order from 2015, despite her attorney disputing the existence of such an order and highlighting a federal court order against her deportation.
What is the current status of López Belloza's education?
Her educational future is in limbo as she remains in Honduras, with her legal team working on an appeal to bring her back to the United States.
What actions are being taken to address her deportation?
Her defense team is preparing an appeal to request a federal judge to mandate her return to the United States, citing violations of her due process rights.