Immigration-Thanksgiving Trip Deportation© Uncredited
US apologizes for mistake in deporting Massachusetts college student, but defends her removal
Story by MICHAEL CASEY
BOSTON (AP) — The Trump administration apologized in court for a “mistake” in the deportation of a Massachusetts college student who was detained trying to fly home to surprise her family for Thanksgiving, but still argued the error should not affect her case.
Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College freshman, was detained at Boston’s airport on Nov. 20 and flown to Honduras two days later. Her removal came despite an emergency court order on Nov. 21 directing the government to keep her in Massachusetts or elsewhere in the United States for at least 72 hours.
Lopez Belloza, whose family emigrated from Honduras to the U.S. in 2014, is currently staying with grandparents and studying remotely. She is not detained and was recently visiting an aunt in El Salvador. Her case is the latest involving a deportation carried out despite a court order.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador despite a ruling that should have prevented it. The Trump administration initially fought efforts to bring him back to the U.S. but eventually complied after the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in. And last June, a Guatemalan man identified as O.C.G. was returned to the U.S. after a judge found his removal from Mexico likely “lacked any semblance of due process.”
At a federal court hearing Tuesday in Boston, the government argued the court lacks jurisdiction because lawyers for Lopez Belloza filed their action several hours after she arrived in Texas while en route out of the country. But the government also acknowledged it violated the judge’s order.
In court filings and in open court, government lawyers said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer mistakenly believed the order no longer applied because Lopez Belloza had already left Massachusetts. The officer failed to activate a system that alerts other ICE officers that a case is subject to judicial review and that removal should be halted.
“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.”
In a declaration filed with the court Jan. 2, the ICE officer also admitted he did not notify ICE’s enforcement office in Port Isabel, Texas, that the removal mission needed to be canceled. He said he believed the judge’s order did not apply once Lopez Belloza was no longer in the state.
The government maintains her deportation was lawful because an immigration judge ordered the removal of Lopez Belloza and her mother in 2016, and the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed their appeal in 2017. Prosecutors said she could have pursued additional appeals or sought a stay of removal.
Her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, countered that she was deported in clear violation of the Nov. 21 order and said the government’s actions deprived her of due process. “I was hoping the government would show some leniency and bring her back,” he said. “They violated a court order.”
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns said he appreciated the government acknowledging the error, calling it a “tragic” bureaucratic mistake. But he appeared to rule out holding the government in contempt, noting the violation did not appear intentional.
He also questioned whether he has jurisdiction over the case, appearing to side with the government in concluding the court order had been filed several hours after she had been sent to Texas.
“It might not be anybody’s fault, but she was the victim of it,” Stearns said, adding at one point that Lopez Belloza could explore applying for a student visa.
Pomerleau said one possible resolution would be allowing Lopez Belloza to return to finish her studies while he works to reopen the underlying removal order.
US apologizes for mistake in deporting Massachusetts college student.
MY Opinion is that I pray Trump will put his hos·til·ity a side about past deeds done to him!!! Mussel his mouth for a moment and begins making grown up decisions and think through his immigration policy.
The United States is in dire need of workers and 95% of the people Sleepy Joe Biden Allowed to walk into the U.S, are seeking a better life for themselves. They’re here working to improve their lives and can’t afford the admission cost. Shouldn’t be treated like chattel that should be apprehended and roughed up along the street and be treated like animals.
I voted for Trump three times, and I am becoming disenchanted with what most people feel is a con man trying to make a name for himself. Dump came off like a crook when he mentioned “the United States is now in control of Venezuelan Oil fields and now has his eye on Greenland by stealing that country away from Denmark.
Dump2 (D stands for deranged – Not Trump) with his goons —Tom Homan: (ogre).
In mythology, ogres are depicted as inhumanly large, tall, and having a disproportionately large head, abundant hair, unusually colored skin, a voracious appetite, and a strong body. …and Kristi Noem are really starting to make Dump2 look ridiculously stupid.
Renee Good’s family hires George Floyd law firm to investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting
Common Sense tells you not to stand in front of a car and The ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Good is identified as Jonathan Ross. He suffered internal bleeding to the torso following the incident and was treated at a hospital but released the same day.
The extent of his injuries remains unclear, and the Department of Homeland Security has not provided further details. The incident has sparked significant outrage and protests across the Twin Cities, with local officials and witnesses disputing the officer’s claim of self-defense. FBI raids home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson
Recently, Target faced significant backlash after federal immigration agents detained two U.S. citizens inside a store in Richfield, Minnesota. The incident occurred on January 8, and local activists and community members protested, demanding that Target protect its employees and customers from such actions without judicial warrants. Demonstrators called for Target to adopt clear policies against ICE activities on its property and to train employees on their rights. The situation has raised concerns about racial profiling and the treatment of immigrant workers, leading to calls for accountability from the retailer.
Scared Florida Nurse Abducted by ICE Agents Despite Screaming ‘I’m a US Citizen’
“What happened to this country?” asks another commenter. Some were worried about ICE’s rampant detainment done with impunity, which is why they are calling for proper punishments, “Need to face criminal charges for false imprisonment and kidnapping.”
It appears ICE can now easily kidnap people under pretenses, based on the video,
“Daylight kidnappings and nobody bats an eye.”