Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old college freshman, was unexpectedly deported to Honduras shortly after arriving at Logan Airport last Thursday, marking a devastating turn in her plans to surprise her family for Thanksgiving. Lopez Belloza, a student at Babson College, had looked forward to reuniting with her parents and young sisters, ages 2 and 5, to share her experiences from her first semester studying business.
“I have worked so hard to be able to be at Babson my first semester; that was my dream,” she reflected in a Wednesday interview from her grandparents’ home in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. “I’m losing everything.”
The abrupt chain of events began when Lopez Belloza showed her ticket to a gate agent, only to be taken by immigration officials to an unmarked vehicle moments later. There, she learned of an old deportation order from 2017, a shocking revelation for someone who believed she had no such issues. According to Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council, many individuals with final orders of removal are unaware of their status, a situation exacerbated by the enforcement policies initiated during the Trump administration.
An ICE spokesperson confirmed that Lopez Belloza had been arrested as she attempted to board her flight and deported just two days later. The spokesperson referenced a deportation order from 2015 regarding her initial entry into the United States. Under the previous administration, deportation priorities have shifted, increasing the vulnerability of individuals like Lopez Belloza who had lived in the country for years without incident.
The sudden nature of her deportation left Lopez Belloza panicked and anxious, as she faced the daunting task of informing her family about the situation while trying to comprehend her own emotions. She was concerned about falling behind on her college assignments and missing deadlines.
After a night spent in a detention facility in Texas, she realized she was on a plane back to Honduras. “The thing that was hitting me so hard, it was my education,” she expressed, noting that she was the first in her family to attend college, with hopes of eventually helping her father start a tailor shop. Her father, who was unaware of the deportation order, shared the pride he felt for his daughter pursuing education and a brighter future.
Now back in Honduras, Lopez Belloza navigates a whirlwind of emotions as she adjusts to the drastic changes in her life. Although she misses her family, friends, and the college experience she cherished, she is contemplating enrolling in college in Honduras if she cannot return to Babson.
Despite the uncertainties that lie ahead, Lopez Belloza remains hopeful. She cherishes the possibility of reconnecting with her family in the U.S. and holds onto her dreams of education and entrepreneurship, resilient in the face of adversity.