In brief
Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old college freshman from Babson College, was detained at Boston Logan International Airport and deported to Honduras, despite claiming she was unaware of a 2015 deportation order. Her attorney argues her case was closed in 2017, leaving her devastated ahead of Thanksgiving.
Concord, N.H. — A college freshman, Lucia Lopez Belloza, attempting to fly from Boston to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving found herself instead being deported back to Honduras, a country she left at the age of 7. The incident occurred on November 20, 2023, just moments after the 19-year-old student cleared security at Boston Logan International Airport. Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, stated that an issue with her boarding pass led to her detention by immigration officials. Within 48 hours, Lopez Belloza was transferred to Texas and subsequently sent back to Honduras.Pomerleau expressed concern for his client’s emotional state: She’s absolutely heartbroken. Her college dream has just been shattered.” The crux of the legal complication seems to stem from a deportation order from 2015, which Lopez Belloza claims she was unaware of. The only document found by her attorney suggests her case was closed in 2017, raising questions about the validity of the deportation.In a surprising twist, a federal judge issued an emergency order the day following her arrest, preventing the government from relocating her for at least 72 hours. However, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to inquiries regarding the possible violation of this order. Babson College has also remained silent on the matter.Currently staying with her grandparents in Honduras, Lopez Belloza expressed her disappointment and loss over the situation. That was my dream,” she stated, reflecting on the Thanksgiving visit she had hoped to make to share her experiences from her first semester in the business program at Babson College. “I’m losing everything.”
