Trump Administration Apologizes for Deporting Massachusetts College Student
The Trump administration has apologized for a “mistake” in the deportation of a Massachusetts college student who was detained trying to fly home to surprise her family for Thanksgiving. Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College freshman, was detained at Boston’s airport on November 20 and flown to Honduras two days later, despite an emergency court order directing the government to keep her in Massachusetts or elsewhere in the United States for at least 72 hours.
Background on the Case
Lopez Belloza’s family emigrated from Honduras to the U.S. in 2014. She is currently staying with grandparents and studying remotely, and was recently visiting an aunt in El Salvador. Her case is the latest involving a deportation carried out despite a court order, following similar incidents involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia and a Guatemalan man identified as O.C.G.
Government Admission and Apology
At a federal court hearing, the government argued that the court lacks jurisdiction because lawyers for Lopez Belloza filed their action several hours after she arrived in Texas while en route out of the country. However, the government also acknowledged that it violated the judge’s order, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter stating, “On behalf of the government, we want to sincerely apologize” for the “inadvertent mistake” made by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer.
The officer had mistakenly believed the order no longer applied because Lopez Belloza had already left Massachusetts and failed to activate a system that alerts other ICE officers that a case is subject to judicial review and that removal should be halted. The government maintains that her deportation was lawful due to a 2016 immigration judge order and a 2017 Board of Immigration Appeals dismissal, but Lopez Belloza’s lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, countered that she was deported in clear violation of the November 21 order and was deprived of due process.
Court Ruling and Possible Resolution
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns appreciated the government’s acknowledgment of the error, calling it a “tragic” bureaucratic mistake, but appeared to rule out holding the government in contempt, noting the violation did not appear intentional. He questioned whether he has jurisdiction over the case and suggested that Lopez Belloza could explore applying for a student visa. Pomerleau proposed a possible resolution, allowing Lopez Belloza to return to finish her studies while he works to reopen the underlying removal order.
For more information on this case, visit Here
Image Source: www.twincities.com
