Any Lucia López Belloza, 20, stunned officials by refusing to board a Trump administration-arranged flight meant to deport her back to the US. Court documents had revealed she would be detained and deported AGAIN straight off the plane.
“I Won’t Mince Words: I’m Angry and Sad”
The Babson College student told reporters, “I believed him for a second. I pictured stepping off of the plane and finally being free… I won’t mince words. I am angry. I am sad.” She also accused an ICE officer of misleading her, promising release after landing.
Trump Admin Claims She “Failed to Appear” for Flight
According to court filings, Belloza skipped the flight at San Pedro Sula airport in Honduras and arranged for her US return.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said: “ICE attempted to facilitate Any Lopez-Belloza’s return back to the United States. But she failed to appear for her pre-arranged flight. ICE made multiple attempts to reach out to her with no response.”
Lawyer Denounces ‘Gamesmanship’ — Won’t Let Her Return in Handcuffs
Belloza’s lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, fired back: “I’m not stopping until she’s back here, but she’s not coming back in handcuffs.”
Backstory: Arrest, Deportation, and Legal Battles
- Belloza was arrested by ICE agents at Boston airport in November while flying home for Thanksgiving.
- She was deported to Honduras, the country she immigrated from with her family aged eight.
- Assistant US Attorney Mark Sauter admitted a “mistake” was made during her deportation and offered a “sincere apology.”
- A federal judge barred her deportation for 72 hours — but she had already landed in Honduras, voiding the order.
- Federal authorities blamed an ICE officer’s error for failing to act on the judge’s order.
- A February court order directed the Trump administration to bring Belloza back to the US.
- The government says she had a final removal order from 2015, issued when she was 11 — a fact Belloza states she didn’t know.
- The State Department was urged to issue her a student visa, but the Trump team ignored the suggestion.
- Judge Richard Stearns called for compassion, saying, “We don’t want to lose sight that we have a real human being here.”
Rare Government Slip Amid Harsh Immigration Crackdown
Sauter conceded it’s unusual for the government to defy a court order, highlighting over 700 migrant cases in Massachusetts since Trump’s hardline immigration policies began.
Pomerleau also represents Bruna Ferreira, related to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, who was arrested by ICE in November.
