Babson College Student Deported to Honduras in Alleged Violation of Federal Court Order

Boston, MA – A 19-year-old freshman at Babson College, Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, was deported to Honduras last week, reportedly in direct defiance of a federal judge's order. Lopez Belloza was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at Boston Logan International Airport on November 20 while attempting to fly to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving. Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, stated that she was deported two days later.

According to Pomerleau, a federal judge issued an emergency order on November 21, prohibiting the government from removing Lopez Belloza from Massachusetts or the United States for at least 72 hours. Despite this, she was transferred through Texas and subsequently deported to Honduras, a country she left at the age of seven. "She’s absolutely heartbroken," Pomerleau told The Guardian, adding, "Her college dream has just been shattered."

ICE, however, maintains that an immigration judge ordered Lopez Belloza deported in 2015, and she "received full due process and was removed to Honduras," as stated by DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Pomerleau contests this, asserting that Lopez Belloza was unaware of any such order, and his own checks of government databases indicate her case was closed in 2017. He further noted that she was not shown a warrant or removal order at the time of her detention.

Lopez Belloza, who was pursuing a business degree at Babson College, had hoped to be the first in her family to graduate from university. Her father, Francis López, a tailor, recounted that the family had emigrated from Honduras nearly 12 years ago to escape violence and insecurity. He confirmed that their asylum application was denied, but they were never informed of a deportation order.

The student's experience included being shackled at her wrists, waist, and ankles during her transfer to Honduras. "She had chains around her ankles. Handcuffs on her wrists," Pomerleau told CNN, describing the process as "beyond the pale." Babson College has acknowledged the incident, with a spokesperson directing CNN to statements from leadership indicating that the school is focused on supporting the student and her family, though specifics are limited by law.

Lopez Belloza is currently staying with her grandparents in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and expressed her distress to The Boston Globe: "I have worked so hard to be able to be at Babson my first semester, that was my dream. I’m losing everything." Her attorney is now working to challenge the deportation and facilitate her return to the United States, citing alleged violations of her due process rights.