Despite that order, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers transported Lopez Belloza to a detention facility in Texas later that night. She was put on a flight to Honduras the following day, according to Pomerleau. Travel records provided by the attorney corroborate the timeline of her transfer and departure.
“She thought she was going to go home, see her family, fly back, take her finals, and now she’s sitting in Honduras,” Pomerleau said in an interview.
In a written statement to Boston television station WCVB, an ICE spokesperson confirmed that Lopez Belloza was removed and noted that a final order of removal had been in place since 2015. The agency did not explain why the judge’s emergency directive was not observed.
Lopez Belloza first entered the United States from Honduras at age eight. Pomerleau said she has lived continuously in the country since then, attending public schools and later enrolling in college. The attorney added that she had booked the Thanksgiving trip as a surprise visit to her parents and siblings, all of whom reside in Texas.
The precise basis of the 2015 removal order has not been disclosed. Publicly available immigration court records confirm that Lopez Belloza was subject to proceedings that year but do not detail the underlying charges, which could range from unauthorized presence to a violation of visa terms.
ICE has the authority to detain and deport individuals with existing final removal orders. According to information published by the agency (ice.gov), enforcement officers may detain such individuals without additional court approval, though judges can issue temporary stays to block immediate removal. Those stays are typically transmitted to the agency’s local office and to detention facilities responsible for custody decisions.
Imagem: Internet
Pomerleau said he filed an emergency request for a stay as soon as he learned of his client’s detention, leading to the judge’s order. However, he contends that the directive was not relayed or was ignored, resulting in Lopez Belloza’s overnight transfer to Texas and departure from the country less than 24 hours later.
The attorney indicated that he plans to seek Lopez Belloza’s return to the United States by asking the court to hold the government in contempt and to compel immigration officials to facilitate her re-entry. Such efforts typically require coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State and can involve parole or humanitarian reinstatement procedures.
Requests for comment sent by ABC News to ICE headquarters and the Department of Homeland Security have not yet been answered. It remains unclear whether disciplinary or corrective measures are under consideration with regard to the apparent violation of the judicial stay.
Lopez Belloza’s case unfolded amid broader immigration enforcement actions nationwide. The current administration has emphasized execution of long-standing deportation orders as a priority, and ICE field offices have conducted a series of high-profile arrests in recent weeks. Observers note that the agency routinely transports detainees across state lines to consolidate custody in larger detention centers or to position individuals closer to removal flights, a practice that can complicate legal efforts to halt deportations on short notice.
For now, Lopez Belloza is in Honduras, separated from her family in the United States and unable to complete her fall semester coursework. Pomerleau said he is gathering additional documentation to demonstrate her ties to the country and her academic status in hopes of persuading the court to intervene swiftly.
Crédito da imagem: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
