College Freshman Defies Trump Deportation Plot, Refuses to Board Flight
Defiant Student Slams ICE’s Secret Detention Plan
Any Lucia López Belloza, 20, rocked officials by refusing to board a Trump administration-arranged flight back to the US. Court documents exposed the shocking truth: she would face detention and immediate deportation again the moment she stepped off the plane.
The Babson College freshman told reporters bluntly, “I won’t mince words. I am angry. I am sad.” She accused an ICE officer of deception, who falsely promised she’d be released upon arrival.
Government Claims She ‘No-Showed’ Flight
According to court papers, Belloza no-showed her deportation flight from San Pedro Sula airport in Honduras, set up by the government.
A Homeland Security spokesperson said, “ICE attempted to facilitate Any Lopez-Belloza’s return to the United States. But she failed to appear for her pre-arranged flight. ICE made multiple attempts to reach her with no response.”
Lawyer Vows Fight: “No Handcuffs, No Way Back”
Her lawyer Todd Pomerleau slammed the government’s “gamesmanship.” He vowed, “I’m not stopping until she’s back here, but she’s not coming back in handcuffs.”
The Full Story: Arrest, Deportation Chaos & Court Drama
- In November, ICE agents arrested Belloza at Boston airport as she flew home for Thanksgiving.
- She was swiftly deported to Honduras, where she first moved with her family at age eight.
- Assistant US Attorney Mark Sauter admitted a “mistake” in her deportation and issued a “sincere apology.”
- A federal judge issued a 72-hour stay on her deportation — but she had already landed in Honduras, cancelling the order.
- Authorities blamed an ICE officer’s bungled response to the judge’s order.
- A court ordered the Trump administration in February to bring her back to the US.
- The government cited a final removal order from 2015, when she was just 11 — a fact Belloza says she never knew.
- The State Department was urged to grant her a student visa but the Trump team ignored the plea.
- Judge Richard Stearns called for compassion: “We don’t want to lose sight that we have a real human being here.”
Rare Slip-Up in Trump’s Ruthless Immigration Crackdown
Sauter admitted it’s unusual for the government to defy a court order. Over 700 migrant cases in Massachusetts alone highlight the harsh reality under Trump’s immigration policies.
Pomerleau also represents Bruna Ferreira, linked to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, who was arrested by ICE last November.
