CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old freshman at Babson College, found herself in the unfortunate position of being deported back to Honduras just two days after being detained at Boston Logan Airport on November 20 while trying to visit her family for Thanksgiving.
As per the response filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter, Lopez Belloza had multiple opportunities to address a removal order issued against her when she was a minor. However, her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, argues that she was completely unaware of the order and the associated options for legal recourse.
Shortly after her detention, a court ordered that she remain in Massachusetts, but due to the timing of her detainment, she was already in transit to Texas en route to Honduras. The government maintains that her transfer was for the purposes of removal proceedings, not to obscure her location.
Pomerleau claims that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not provide meaningful updates or avenues for her legal team to track her whereabouts after her arrest, creating a situation where they had to guess not only where she was but also the reasons for her detention.
“It’s disheartening that there are children who might be facing issues like this without fully understanding their rights,” Pomerleau commented during a phone interview. “Lopez Belloza came to the states in 2014 at the age of 8, and her legal troubles evolved without her knowledge. The order for her removal was issued in March 2016, and by 2017, the Board of Immigration Appeals had dismissed any appeals attempts.”
Lopez Belloza is now staying with her grandparents in Honduras and is attempting to continue her studies from afar. Pomerleau emphasizes that despite the trauma she has experienced, Lopez Belloza is determined to move forward and finish her freshman year at Babson College.
As the case moves forward, the court has given Lopez Belloza’s legal team until December 11 to provide a formal response. ”She’s a remarkable young woman,” Pomerleau adds, “and we’re committed to ensuring she has a bright future.”
