Court Orders Trump Admin to Bring Deported Student Back to US

A United States court has ordered the Trump administration to take immediate steps to facilitate the return of Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, 19, a Babson College freshman who was wrongfully deported last November while attempting to visit her family for Thanksgiving.

US District Judge Richard Stearns handed down the ruling on Tuesday, giving the government just two weeks to act. In his decision, the judge framed the order as an opportunity for the government to “acknowledge and fix” a mistake, warning that failure to comply could result in contempt charges.

“Wisdom counsels that redemption may be found by acknowledging and fixing our own errors,” Stearns wrote. “In this unfortunate case, the government commendably admits that it did wrong. Now it is time for the government to make amends.”

A Family Visit Turns into a Deportation

Lopez Belloza’s ordeal began on 20 November, when she was arrested by immigration agents at Boston’s Logan Airport while preparing to board a flight home to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving. According to her account, she was denied access to a lawyer during her initial detention and was asked to sign deportation papers — an offer she refused.

For two nights, she was held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a cramped holding room with 17 other women, with barely enough space to lie down. Then, she was placed on a deportation flight, first to Texas and then to her native Honduras, arriving on 22 November.

“I was numb the whole plane ride,” Lopez Belloza told the Associated Press. “I just kept questioning myself. Why is this happening to me?”

Unbeknownst to the ICE agents, her lawyers had obtained a court order barring her removal from Massachusetts for 72 hours — an order that was ignored during her deportation. She has now spent more than two months in Honduras while her legal team fights to secure her return.

Government Apology, but Legal Obstacles Persist

In court, the Trump administration acknowledged the mistake and apologised. “On behalf of the government, we want to sincerely apologise,” said prosecutor Mark Sauter. However, the government maintained that the deportation was the error of a single ICE agent, not a deliberate defiance of the court.

The administration also argued that Lopez Belloza had been subject to a removal order from 2016, when she and her mother were brought to the United States from Honduras. She has stated she had no knowledge of the prior order and that her previous legal representation assured her there was no deportation threat against her.

Efforts to reinstate Lopez Belloza on a student visa have also been blocked. In a February 6 filing, US Attorney Leah B. Foley said that a student visa “is unfeasible as the Secretary of State lacks authority to adjudicate visa applications and issue visas” and suggested that Lopez Belloza “would remain subject to detention and removal if returned to the United States.”

A Broader Pattern of Controversial Deportations

Lopez Belloza’s case is part of a broader pattern of high-profile deportations under the Trump administration that have raised questions about due process.

One such case involved Salvadoran father Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who lived in Maryland with his US citizen wife. Despite a 2019 court order preventing his removal over concerns of gang violence in El Salvador, he was deported in March 2025. The US Supreme Court later ruled that the administration must facilitate his return, upholding a lower court decision.

Similarly, a Guatemalan man, identified only as OCG, was deported despite a court order protecting him due to fears of persecution over his sexual orientation. He was initially sent to Mexico, which deported him back to Guatemala. Only after a court order was he returned to the US.

“These cases highlight systemic flaws in enforcement and the administration’s repeated failure to comply with court orders,” said immigration attorney Marisa Gomez, who is not involved in Lopez Belloza’s case.

Impact on Education and Life

Lopez Belloza continues her studies at Babson College remotely from Honduras, facing the dual challenge of academic responsibilities and navigating a complex legal battle to return to the US. She told the AP that she has been determined to continue her education, despite the personal and emotional toll of her deportation.

Her case has drawn attention from legal observers and immigrant rights advocates, who argue that wrongful deportations not only disrupt lives but also violate fundamental rights guaranteed under US law.

“Being deported while a court order exists is a severe miscarriage of justice,” said Gomez. “It’s not just a legal error; it’s a personal trauma that affects education, family, and future opportunities.”

Looking Ahead

With the court’s latest ruling, the Trump administration has a two-week deadline to facilitate Lopez Belloza’s return. Legal experts caution that while the ruling is a step forward, logistical and bureaucratic hurdles could delay her actual return to the United States.

Lopez Belloza’s case remains a stark reminder of the human consequences of immigration enforcement errors and the vital role of judicial oversight in protecting individual rights.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Judge Stearns wrote. “But acknowledging and correcting them is how justice is truly served.”

As the legal proceedings continue, Lopez Belloza’s fight to resume her studies in the US underscores the ongoing tension between immigration policy enforcement and due process, placing her at the centre of a broader debate over the balance between national policy and individual rights.

 

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