Overview
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter acknowledged the violation and issued a formal apology, calling it an inadvertent error by a deportation officer.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns focused on remedies rather than contempt and questioned jurisdiction because the habeas filing came after she had been moved to Texas.
- The court is considering practical options, including a State Department student visa, parole, or reopening of removal proceedings to facilitate her return.
- The government maintains the deportation was permissible under a prior removal order against Lopez Belloza and her mother that was upheld on appeal.
- Lopez Belloza remains in Honduras with relatives, continues Babson classes online, and is pursuing visa pathways as her attorney presses for her return.