By Trendsetter Tribune 
The Trump administration apologized for mistakenly deporting Babson College student Lucia Lopez Belloza to Honduras, despite a court order. Legal battles continue over her return.
The Trump administration has apologized in court for the deportation of 19-year-old Babson College freshman Lucia Lopez Belloza, who was flown to Honduras in late November despite an emergency judicial order intended to keep her in the U.S. for at least 72 hours.
Lopez Belloza had been detained at Boston Logan International Airport on November 20 while attempting to fly home to surprise her family for Thanksgiving. Two days later, she was removed from the country, even though a federal judge issued an emergency order on November 21 to prevent her deportation.
Government Claims “Inadvertent Mistake”
At a federal hearing in Boston on Tuesday, government lawyers acknowledged that an ICE officer failed to follow the court order. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter told the court:
“On behalf of the government, we want to sincerely apologize. The violation was an inadvertent mistake by one individual, not a willful act of violating a court order.”
The officer reportedly did not activate a system that alerts other ICE personnel that a case is subject to judicial review, nor did he notify the enforcement office in Port Isabel, Texas, that Lopez Belloza’s removal should be halted.
Legal Arguments and Ongoing Case
The government argued the court lacks jurisdiction, as Lopez Belloza’s lawyers filed their case after she had already left Massachusetts. ICE officials also maintained that her deportation was lawful, citing an immigration judge’s 2016 order and a 2017 Board of Immigration Appeals decision dismissing her appeal.
Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, contended that the deportation violated due process:
“I was hoping the government would show some leniency and bring her back. They violated a court order.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns acknowledged the apology but questioned whether the court had authority to enforce the order after she was already out of state. He described the incident as a “tragic” bureaucratic mistake, noting that Lopez Belloza was the victim of administrative errors.
Possible Next Steps
Judge Stearns suggested that Lopez Belloza could explore applying for a student visa to return to the United States. Meanwhile, her attorney is seeking ways to reopen the underlying removal order so she can complete her studies.
This case follows a pattern of controversial deportations despite court orders, including other instances where individuals were removed to El Salvador or Mexico before judicial rulings could protect them.