US Judge Recommends Student Visa for Wrongfully Deported College Student

A U.S. federal judge has urged the government to correct a wrongful deportation involving 19-year-old Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a freshman at Babson College in Massachusetts, recommending that she be issued a student visa as the simplest way to remedy the mistake.

Judge Richard Stearns gave the administration 21 days to address the error, which occurred despite a court order meant to prevent Lopez Belloza’s removal. He described the situation as an “amalgam of errors” and a serious mistake that must be rectified.

Lopez Belloza, a Honduran national, was brought to the U.S. by her mother at age eight while seeking asylum. She stated she was unaware of a removal order against her. On November 20, she was arrested at Boston’s airport while planning to travel to Texas for Thanksgiving. Despite a legal challenge filed the next day and a judge-issued order barring her deportation, she had already been transferred to Texas and deported to Honduras on November 22, where she is now with her grandparents.

Judge Stearns noted that although he no longer had jurisdiction over her broader case, the government still has the power to remedy this “tragic and preventable” violation. He emphasized that the easiest solution is for the U.S. Department of State to grant her a student visa, enabling her return to continue her studies. Alternatively, the judge suggested he could compel the government to arrange her return, warning of possible contempt proceedings if officials fail to comply.

Lopez Belloza’s lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, welcomed the ruling, calling it a step toward ensuring she can return to the United States soon. The Justice Department declined to comment. The government previously admitted the deportation resulted from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s mistake, who failed to flag the court order after she was transferred out of Massachusetts.