US judge gives three weeks to return deported student

A federal judge in Boston ordered the government to report within 21 days how it will remedy the deportation of a 19-year-old student sent to Honduras; the judge said issuing her a student visa would be the simplest fix and the government lawyer apologized for an ICE error.

A US federal judge in Boston has given the government 21 days to explain how it will remedy the deportation of a 19-year-old college student who was sent to Honduras in late November. The student, Any Lucia López Belloza, was arrested at Boston’s Logan airport while traveling for Thanksgiving and was deported despite a court order that had barred her removal for 72 hours. A lawyer for the government apologized in court, saying an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer failed to flag the order, and the judge said issuing a student visa would be the simplest remedy or he could order her return. Key facts: - Judge Richard Stearns set a 21-day deadline for the government to inform the court how it will "rectify the mistake." - Any Lucia López Belloza, 19, was moved from Massachusetts and deported to Honduras after her arrest on 20 November. - A government lawyer apologized for an ICE officer’s failure to flag the court order; the judge suggested a student visa or ordering the administration to arrange her return. Summary: The court has required a formal response from the government within three weeks, naming issuance of a student visa as the simplest remedy. If the administration does not take the steps the judge outlines, he said he could order the student’s return and impose contempt measures.