US Immigration Agents Target College Student's Family for Deportation
In a shocking and disturbing turn of events, US immigration agents descended upon the home of Any Lucia López Belloza's family in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The 19-year-old college student was recently deported to Honduras while en route to visit her loved ones for Thanksgiving. Her family claims that they were targeted by ICE agents who showed up unannounced, forcing their way into their home and leaving without explanation or warning.
López Belloza, a Massachusetts resident studying at Babson College, was detained on November 20th at Boston airport while traveling to Texas to surprise her family for the holiday. Within 48 hours, she was deported to Honduras, a country she left as a child. Her family had no prior knowledge of any deportation order or notice.
According to her father, Francis López, immigration agents arrived in three unmarked vehicles and one agent wearing a green vest marked "ERO" rushed towards him while he washed his car. When López attempted to protect himself by running into the backyard and closing a gate, the agent forced it open and entered the yard. The agents stayed for two hours without knocking or attempting to communicate with the family.
The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the incident, despite multiple requests. The family's lawyer, Kristin Etter, stated that the agents did not have any paperwork or warrant, and that their home appeared to be the only one where the vehicles stopped.
López Belloza's case is particularly egregious, as her family claims she was never notified of any deportation order. Her asylum petition was denied over a decade ago, but the family maintains that she was never informed of this prior to her detention. Immigration authorities claim that López Belloza had "illegally stayed in the country since" 2015, but her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, disputes this assertion and claims that her deportation violates an emergency court order.
The incident has sparked outrage among local politicians, including Democratic congressman Greg Casar, who represents the family's district. He stated that López Belloza was targeted by ICE agents due to her family's outspoken criticism of the Trump administration's treatment of migrants.
López Belloza is currently staying with her grandparents in northern Honduras and is attempting to stay positive amidst this ordeal. She hopes to continue her studies, whether in Honduras or at a university, and one day reunite with her loved ones. However, she laments that her experience is "not fair" and feels betrayed by the US system she once sought to become a part of.
In a shocking and disturbing turn of events, US immigration agents descended upon the home of Any Lucia López Belloza's family in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The 19-year-old college student was recently deported to Honduras while en route to visit her loved ones for Thanksgiving. Her family claims that they were targeted by ICE agents who showed up unannounced, forcing their way into their home and leaving without explanation or warning.
López Belloza, a Massachusetts resident studying at Babson College, was detained on November 20th at Boston airport while traveling to Texas to surprise her family for the holiday. Within 48 hours, she was deported to Honduras, a country she left as a child. Her family had no prior knowledge of any deportation order or notice.
According to her father, Francis López, immigration agents arrived in three unmarked vehicles and one agent wearing a green vest marked "ERO" rushed towards him while he washed his car. When López attempted to protect himself by running into the backyard and closing a gate, the agent forced it open and entered the yard. The agents stayed for two hours without knocking or attempting to communicate with the family.
The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the incident, despite multiple requests. The family's lawyer, Kristin Etter, stated that the agents did not have any paperwork or warrant, and that their home appeared to be the only one where the vehicles stopped.
López Belloza's case is particularly egregious, as her family claims she was never notified of any deportation order. Her asylum petition was denied over a decade ago, but the family maintains that she was never informed of this prior to her detention. Immigration authorities claim that López Belloza had "illegally stayed in the country since" 2015, but her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, disputes this assertion and claims that her deportation violates an emergency court order.
The incident has sparked outrage among local politicians, including Democratic congressman Greg Casar, who represents the family's district. He stated that López Belloza was targeted by ICE agents due to her family's outspoken criticism of the Trump administration's treatment of migrants.
López Belloza is currently staying with her grandparents in northern Honduras and is attempting to stay positive amidst this ordeal. She hopes to continue her studies, whether in Honduras or at a university, and one day reunite with her loved ones. However, she laments that her experience is "not fair" and feels betrayed by the US system she once sought to become a part of.
! i cant even imagine what it must feel like for that family to have their home invaded like that and not get any explanation whatsoever 
. i mean, i know immigration laws can be complicated, but coming at them unannounced? that's just crazy 
. and that the us gov is still mum on it... totally unacceptable 
. López Belloza's story sounds so heartbreaking - she was just trying to visit her family for thanksgiving and now she's stuck in honduras with no clear way out 
. i hope something gets done about this ASAP, so that families don't have to go through this stress and fear 
.
my heart is literally breaking for this poor college student and her family 
they were just trying to have their daughter home for Thanksgiving and what happens? ICE agents barge in on them unannounced, no warning, no explanation... it's like something out of a bad movie 
. It's just so unfair and I can see why they're feeling betrayed by the US system 
It's like they're saying "oh, you're here so we'll come in and kick you out". No explanation, no warning... it's terrifying. And the fact that they didn't even knock on the door before bursting in is just cruel. 
Immigration agents are supposed to be helping people, not traumatizing them. This kind of thing needs to stop ASAP. 
They're going through a tough time, but they'll get through this. And who knows, maybe this whole ordeal will bring about some much-needed change in the US immigration system? 
Fingers crossed that justice will be served soon! 
. López Belloza's case sounds super unfair 
. i mean, she was never informed about her deportation or asylum petition being denied before... that's just not right 
didn't we learn anything from those trump rallies?! 
anyway, López Belloza seems like a super brave girl trying to stay positive despite everything 
and that these us immigration agents start showing some compassion 
. this is just crazy! 
. The fact that she was deported without any warning or notice is already bad enough, but adding the element of her home being invaded like that... it's just traumatic 
. Her family seems genuinely worried that she was targeted because of their outspoken criticism of the Trump admin, and that's something we should be talking about more. This isn't just about one person's deportation, it's about a system that can turn on people at a moment's notice.
, but this incident is definitely raising some serious questions about how ICE operates in the US 
.