Concord, N.H. (AP) — A college freshman trying to fly from Boston to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving was instead deported to Honduras in violation of a court order, according to her attorney.
Lucia Lopez Belloza, 19, had already passed through security at Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 20 when she was informed that there was an issue with her boarding pass, said attorney Todd Pomerleau. The Babson College student was subsequently detained by immigration officials and within two days was sent first to Texas and then to Honduras, the country she left when she was just seven years old.
“She's absolutely heartbroken,” Pomerleau voiced. “Her college dream has just been shattered.”
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an immigration judge ordered Lopez Belloza’s deportation in 2015. However, her attorney argues that she was not aware of any removal order, with the only record available suggesting that her case was closed in 2017.
“They're holding her responsible for something they claim happened a decade ago that she’s completely unaware of, and they haven’t shown any proof,” Pomerleau emphasized.
The following day after Lopez Belloza's detention, a federal judge issued an emergency order stopping the government from removing her from Massachusetts or the United States for at least 72 hours. As of now, ICE has not commented on the violation of this order. Babson College also had no immediate response to inquiries regarding the incident.
Currently with her grandparents in Honduras, Lopez Belloza shared her disappointment with The Boston Globe, revealing that she had been excited to share news about her first semester studying business with her family.
“That was my dream,” she stated. “I’m losing everything.”}
Lucia Lopez Belloza, 19, had already passed through security at Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 20 when she was informed that there was an issue with her boarding pass, said attorney Todd Pomerleau. The Babson College student was subsequently detained by immigration officials and within two days was sent first to Texas and then to Honduras, the country she left when she was just seven years old.
“She's absolutely heartbroken,” Pomerleau voiced. “Her college dream has just been shattered.”
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an immigration judge ordered Lopez Belloza’s deportation in 2015. However, her attorney argues that she was not aware of any removal order, with the only record available suggesting that her case was closed in 2017.
“They're holding her responsible for something they claim happened a decade ago that she’s completely unaware of, and they haven’t shown any proof,” Pomerleau emphasized.
The following day after Lopez Belloza's detention, a federal judge issued an emergency order stopping the government from removing her from Massachusetts or the United States for at least 72 hours. As of now, ICE has not commented on the violation of this order. Babson College also had no immediate response to inquiries regarding the incident.
Currently with her grandparents in Honduras, Lopez Belloza shared her disappointment with The Boston Globe, revealing that she had been excited to share news about her first semester studying business with her family.
“That was my dream,” she stated. “I’m losing everything.”}
