The Trump administration has apologised in court for a “mistake” in the deportation of a Massachusetts college student who was detained while trying to surprise her family in Texas for Thanksgiving. However, the government argued that the error should not affect her immigration case.
Any Lucía López Belloza, a 19-year-old freshman at Babson College in Wellesley, was detained at Boston’s airport on 20 November and flown to Honduras two days later. Her removal occurred despite an emergency court order on 21 November directing the government to keep her in the US for at least 72 hours for legal processes.
In court filings and in open court, government lawyers said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer mistakenly believed the order no longer applied and failed to activate a system that alerts other officers to halt removal. “On behalf of the government, we want to sincerely apologise,” said Assistant US Attorney Mark Sauter, describing the violation as an inadvertent mistake by one individual, not a willful act.
López Belloza, whose family emigrated from Honduras in 2014, is now staying with grandparents and studying remotely. Her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, argued that she was deported in clear violation of the court order and deprived of due process. He has filed papers asking the judge to order the government to bring her back to the US.
Federal Judge Richard Stearns acknowledged the government’s error, calling it a “tragic” bureaucratic mistake, but appeared to rule out holding the government in contempt. López Belloza expressed hope, saying she was “so appreciative of the apology”.
