Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Facilitate Return of Deported Honduran Student

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a Honduran college student who was deported despite a court order blocking her removal. The ruling marks a significant development in an immigration case that has drawn national attention and raised questions about compliance with judicial orders.

Boston-based U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns directed the administration to enable the return of Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 20-year-old Babson College freshman, within two weeks. Lopez Belloza was detained at Boston’s Logan Airport while traveling to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with her family and was deported to Honduras on November 22. Her removal occurred even though her attorney had secured a federal court order the day before that temporarily barred immigration authorities from deporting her or transferring her out of Massachusetts for 72 hours.

In his decision, Judge Stearns emphasized accountability, noting that the government had acknowledged the deportation violated the court’s order. He urged officials to correct the error, stating that the time had come for the administration to “make amends.” The judge had initially sought to avoid holding officials in civil contempt, hoping the government would voluntarily resolve what he described as a clear mistake.

However, the State Department reportedly deemed issuing a new student visa “unfeasible,” and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) declined to arrange her return. As a result, Stearns set a February 27 deadline for the administration to facilitate Lopez Belloza’s return to the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, stated that Lopez Belloza received due process and disputed the characterization of the deportation as a mistake. Government attorneys previously attributed the violation to an ICE officer’s failure to properly flag the court order.

Lopez Belloza, who was brought to the U.S. at age eight by her mother seeking asylum, has said she was unaware of any final order of removal. She remains in Honduras with her grandparents as legal efforts continue to secure her return.