In a troubling incident, 19-year-old Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a freshman at Babson College, was deported to Honduras just days before Thanksgiving while seeking to visit her family. After being detained at Boston’s airport on November 20, she was swiftly removed from the U.S. two days later, despite a court order meant to keep her in the country. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter, the Boston judge involved did not have jurisdiction over her case at that point because she was in transit to Texas, not Massachusetts.
However, her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, insists that Lopez Belloza was unaware of her deportation order issued when she was a child. Meanwhile, he claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made it incredibly difficult for them to locate her during the removal process. “They provided no meaningful way to find her,” Pomerleau said. “We literally have to guess not only where our client is, but why they’re being held.”
Lopez Belloza, who moved to the U.S. in 2014 at the age of 8, was detained at the airport and subsequently sent out of the country, all while having assumed she could freely travel to visit her family. The legal complexities surrounding past orders lend to her attorney's assertion that the channels for appeal were murky, particularly for a minor like her. After her deportation, her lawyer has stated that she is now back with her grandparents in Honduras.
Despite the distressing experience, she is reportedly working with Babson College to continue her studies remotely. Pomerleau expressed his commitment to help her regain control of her academic future, emphasizing her resilience as a remarkable young woman faced with unexpected challenges.
However, her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, insists that Lopez Belloza was unaware of her deportation order issued when she was a child. Meanwhile, he claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made it incredibly difficult for them to locate her during the removal process. “They provided no meaningful way to find her,” Pomerleau said. “We literally have to guess not only where our client is, but why they’re being held.”
Lopez Belloza, who moved to the U.S. in 2014 at the age of 8, was detained at the airport and subsequently sent out of the country, all while having assumed she could freely travel to visit her family. The legal complexities surrounding past orders lend to her attorney's assertion that the channels for appeal were murky, particularly for a minor like her. After her deportation, her lawyer has stated that she is now back with her grandparents in Honduras.
Despite the distressing experience, she is reportedly working with Babson College to continue her studies remotely. Pomerleau expressed his commitment to help her regain control of her academic future, emphasizing her resilience as a remarkable young woman faced with unexpected challenges.
