ICE in Central Texas: Loved ones say detained man has "disappeared out of nowhere"

ICE deportation cases with Austin ties

The Trump administration has apologized for a mistake in the deportation of a college student who was trying to surprise her family in Austin for Thanksgiving. Her case comes as another Central Texas family said a loved one arrested by ICE has seemingly disappeared

AUSTIN, Texas - The Trump administration has apologized for a mistake in the deportation of a college student who was trying to surprise her family in Austin for Thanksgiving. 

Her case comes as another Central Texas family said a loved one arrested by ICE has seemingly disappeared.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: College student deported while trying to fly home to Texas for Thanksgiving

What they're saying:

Any Lucia Lopez Belloza was trying to come home for Thanksgiving, but was instead arrested at Boston’s airport just before boarding her flight and deported to Honduras. Her attorney said this happened even though a federal judge had temporarily blocked her removal.

"The government has now claimed a few months after the fact that it made a mistake. Well, mistakes, purposeful conduct, at the end of the day a court order was violated," Belloza’s attorney Todd Pomerleau said.

The federal government admitted they violated the judge’s order, but argued the court lacks jurisdiction. Belloza’s attorney is fighting for her to be brought back to the U.S. 

Any Lucia Lopez Belloza

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who represents East Austin, is as well.

"With a flick of a pen, Trump can just let Annie come back. Just like anybody else, give her a travel visa and let her come back," Casar said.

Casar said Belloza’s case is part of what he calls a broader pattern of aggressive ICE enforcement creating fear across Central Texas.

"Mass deportation and these just throwing tons of ICE agents into a city is just causing chaos for everybody," Casar said.

Dig deeper:

That fear is now being felt by another family, this time in Kyle. The sister-in-law of Luis Ernesto Fuentes Martinez, a Salvadoran national, said he was heading to work when ICE arrested him earlier this week.

"The only thing that he would have on his record is that he was here illegally. I mean, that we're agreeing with, I understand that. But as far as like a criminal record, he's never been arrested for anything," Fuentes Martinez’s sister-in-law, Ronny Balli, said.

Luis Ernesto Fuentes Martinez

Balli said they found out about what happened from videos posted online.

"When they lifted him up, he had a black eye, he was all bloody, his face was full of blood, so we don't know, that concerned us," Balli said.

What's next:

Belloza remains in Honduras as her attorneys fight to bring her back. Fuentes Martinez’s family said they’re still waiting for answers about his condition and where he is at.

What they're saying:

ICE issued a statement to FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis on Jan. 21 about Fuentes Martinez's arrest, saying:

"On January 15, ICE officers attempted to arrest Luis Ernesto Fuentes-Martinez, an illegal alien from El Salvador who became combative and attempted to resist our officers and evade arrest. Officers used the minimum amount of force necessary and were forced to deploy a taser to arrest this illegal alien. Local emergency services were called to assess Fuentes who had suffered injuries while resisting officers and attempting to evade arrest. He was taken for medical evaluation but has since been released and is in ICE custody pending removal to his home country.

Resisting officers and evading arrest is dangerous for our officers, illegal aliens, and the public. We remind the public that resisting officers and evading arrests is a felony and a federal crime. Sanctuary politicians need to stop encouraging this dangerous behavior that puts our officers and the public at risk."