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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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The Trump administration apologized in federal court for mistakenly deporting a Massachusetts college student who had been trying to surprise her family for Thanksgiving.
Nineteen‑year‑old Babson College freshman Any Lucia Lopez Belloza was detained in Boston on November 20, 2025, and flown to Honduras two days later, despite a court order preventing it.
Government attorneys acknowledged an ICE officer failed to follow the order but argued the error should not affect the underlying removal case. Lopez Belloza’s attorney said the government’s actions deprived her of due process, calling the deportation a clear violation of the judge’s directive.
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“On behalf of the government, we want to sincerely apologize,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter told the judge, saying the employee understands “he made a mistake.” The violation, Sauter added, was “an inadvertent mistake by one individual, not a willful act of violating a court order.”
Newsweek reached out to Lopez Belloza's attorney for further comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has rarely admitted to error when it comes to immigration enforcement, particularly over deportations.
In March, an administrative error led to Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia being deported to his home country despite a court order preventing it. After admitting the error, the government backtracked, saying his removal was valid and sought federal charges against him. Other alleged errors have been met with denials.
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What To Know
Lopez Belloza, who came to the United States from Honduras as a young child, had already passed through security at Boston Logan Airport when she was stopped at the gate before boarding in November, her attorney Todd Pomerleau told Newsweek at the time.
Her removal to Honduras on November 22 came despite an emergency court order the day before, directing the government to keep her in Massachusetts or elsewhere in the United States for at least 72 hours.
The ICE officer involved said in a declaration filed January 2 that he had not notified ICE's enforcement office in Port Isabel, Texas, that Lopez Belloza's removal should be aborted, believing the order did not matter once she was out of state.
Despite the admitted error, the government maintained her deportation was lawful because a judge had placed the young woman and her mother into removal proceedings in 2016. Their appeal was dismissed in 2017.
What People Are Saying
Any Lucia Lopez Belloza's attorney, Todd Pomerleau, told Newsweek in November: "She's such a remarkable young woman, so articulate. It's just really disgusting what they've done to her. She has two little sisters, two and five, U.S. citizens. Rather than having something to be thankful for, she was separated from her loved ones when they needed her most."
What Happens Next
Lopez Belloza is currently staying with her grandmother and is not detained, having recently visited El Salvador. Her attorney is asking that she be allowed to return to the U.S.
District Judge Richard Stearns ruled out holding the government in contempt and questioned whether he had jurisdiction over the case.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 1/14/26, 4:09 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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