Student Deported Despite Court Order

Ana Lucia Lopez Bello, a 19-year-old freshman at Emerson College, was mistakenly deported to Honduras by the United States — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on November 22, 2025, despite an emergency court order issued on November 21, 2025, directing the government to keep her in the United States. The Trump administration, through Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter, apologized for the 'inadvertent mistake' by an ICE officer who failed to activate a system to halt the removal. However, the government argued that the error should not affect Ana Lucia Lopez Bello's underlying removal case, citing a 2016 immigration judge's order for her and her mother's removal. Ana Lucia Lopez Bello's lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, contended that the deportation violated due process and the court order, seeking her return to the United States. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns acknowledged the 'tragic' bureaucratic mistake but questioned his jurisdiction and ruled out holding the government in contempt, as the violation did not appear intentional. The case is similar to others where individuals like Deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia were deported despite court orders.