Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College freshman, was excited to surprise her family in Texas for Thanksgiving when she set out from college to fly home in late November. The plan for a quick visit quickly turned urgent when she was detained at Boston Logan International Airport after passing through security. Within roughly 48 hours, she had been moved from Boston to Texas and then deported to Honduras, the country she had left as a child.
Her family in Texas and her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, have described a case tangled in questions about a removal order that ICE says dated back more than a decade. The attorney has publicly stated there may be no active order and that records could show the case was closed in 2017. ICE, by contrast, has pointed to a decade-old order as the basis for removal. A federal judge had issued an emergency 72-hour stay, which supporters say was not honored as the removal proceeded.
Babson College administrators have said they are following the situation and are offering support to the student’s family. The incident has drawn attention from immigration advocates and news outlets, who note the conflicting records and the rapidity of the deportation after a mid-air detainment. Belloza now lives with her grandparents in Honduras, described by supporters as heartbroken but determined to return to her studies in the United States.
The broader questions raised by this case concern the administrative process surrounding removal orders, the handling of stayed orders, and the degree to which students and families can be protected during fast-moving enforcement actions. As Belloza’s case continues to unfold, her supporters say she remains focused on returning to Babson and resuming her education.
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