The federal government missed a court-ordered deadline Friday to return Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19‑year‑old Babson College freshman who was mistakenly deported to Honduras last fall, according to reporting by MyNorthwest. The case has drawn national attention for its implications on due process and oversight within federal immigration agencies—issues that frequently intersect with life in Southwest Washington, where the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma remains one of the region’s most significant immigration enforcement hubs.

According to court filings referenced in the reporting, Lopez Belloza was detained at Boston’s Logan International Airport in November while attempting to fly to Texas for a Thanksgiving visit with family. A federal court had already barred her removal while her immigration case was pending, but she was nevertheless deported to Honduras less than two days later. Federal prosecutors later acknowledged the deportation was a mistake caused by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer failing to activate an alert meant to prevent her removal.

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns ordered earlier this month that the federal government facilitate Lopez Belloza’s return within two weeks, emphasizing in his written order that the judiciary—not the executive branch—must determine the legality of her removal. That deadline was set to expire at midnight Friday.

In statements cited in the reporting, Lopez Belloza’s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, said federal officials attempted to arrange a government-facilitated return flight within the past 24 hours but would not clarify whether she would be released upon arrival. Pomerleau argued in court that filings by government attorneys suggest she could be returned directly to detention in Texas and potentially face a second removal attempt within days.

“They’re interpreting the judge’s facilitation order to the extreme,” Pomerleau said, noting that federal attorneys have described the “status quo” as Lopez Belloza’s initial detention in Texas.

Lopez Belloza has continued her studies remotely from Honduras while her case proceeds. She told reporters she will remain there until her legal team can secure assurances about her return. “All I’m asking is for honesty and fairness,” she said. “I’m asking to be treated like a human with rights.”

Government lawyers have argued in court that the federal district court in Boston lacks jurisdiction to reverse her underlying removal order, which they say was finalized years earlier when Lopez Belloza was 11 years old. In previous statements, the Department of Homeland Security said she had received “full due process,” though the administration has apologized for the erroneous deportation described in the filings.

Why this matters for Southwest Washington

Although the legal dispute is unfolding in Massachusetts, the underlying issues—oversight, due process, and the handling of immigration detentions—are directly relevant to residents of Cowlitz County and surrounding communities. The Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma processes detainees from across the western United States, including individuals apprehended or residing in Southwest Washington. Federal errors affecting immigration cases elsewhere can signal procedural vulnerabilities with local implications, especially in regions where families include mixed‑status households or where community members regularly navigate federal immigration systems.

This case also reflects broader questions about how removal orders from childhood are handled, how federal agencies track court injunctions, and what safeguards exist to prevent unlawful detention or deportation—issues that local immigrant rights advocates and legal aid groups in Washington have raised for years.

As of Friday evening, no public filing indicated that Lopez Belloza had been returned to the United States or that the federal government had met the court’s deadline.

Sources