Babson Freshman Deported at Boston Airport Fights to Return After Alleged Due-Process Violations

Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old freshman at Babson College, was arrested at Boston's airport on November 20 while preparing to fly home to Texas for Thanksgiving and was deported to Honduras within about 48 hours. Her attorney says she was detained without being shown a warrant or removal order and removed despite a court order that reportedly barred her deportation while litigation proceeded.

What happened

Lopez Belloza arrived at the airport excited for a surprise visit with her family, near the end of her first semester studying business. According to her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, an issue was flagged with her boarding pass and, as she walked toward customer service, she was "surrounded, placed in handcuffs, and dragged out of the airport." Within roughly 48 hours she was transferred from Massachusetts to Texas and then deported to Honduras, the country where she was born but had not lived since age 7.

"She had chains around her ankles. Handcuffs on her wrists. Put on a plane and deported to a country she hadn’t been at in like 12 years. It’s beyond the pale," said Pomerleau.

Allegations and official response

Pomerleau says Lopez Belloza was never shown a removal order or a warrant and that records he located indicate her immigration case was closed in 2017. He also says a federal judge had issued an order barring removal while a lawsuit over her arrest is pending.

Federal officials maintain that Lopez Belloza entered the United States in 2014, that an immigration judge ordered her removal in 2015, and that she had remained in the country unlawfully since then. A senior Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that Lopez Belloza "received full due process and was removed to Honduras."

Detention timeline

After the initial arrest at the airport, Lopez Belloza was taken to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's regional office in Burlington, Massachusetts. She was then transferred to a military base in the state, flown to Texas, held overnight in a detention facility, and deported the following afternoon, according to her attorney.

Background and personal impact

Lopez Belloza grew up primarily in Texas and earned a scholarship to study business in Massachusetts. Her family—her father, identified as Francis, and two younger sisters—remain in Texas. She had hoped to use her degree to help her father open a tailoring business. From her grandparents' home in Honduras, she said she had worked hard to achieve her college dream and had been looking forward to sharing the experience with her family.

Next steps

Pomerleau says his legal team is seeking a court order that would require the United States to return Lopez Belloza and to remedy what they describe as an "egregious violation" of her due-process rights. The case is expected to focus on whether officials complied with the federal judge's order and on the procedural steps taken before her removal.

Note: The account above reflects claims by the student's attorney and statements from federal officials. The situation remains subject to ongoing litigation and official review.