A Massachusetts woman, the mother of a child fathered by the brother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, has been taken into custody by federal immigration authorities.
Bruna Ferreira was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Revere, Massachusetts. She is now being held at a processing center in Louisiana pending removal proceedings. According to initial reports, the arrest occurred as Ferreira was leaving her home to collect her son from school.
Ferreira, who came to the United States from Brazil as a young child, shares an 11-year-old son with Michael Leavitt, the press secretary’s brother. The child resides full-time with his father in New Hampshire.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest, stating Ferreira is a “criminal illegal alien” from Brazil with a previous arrest for battery. The spokesperson noted she initially entered the U.S. on a tourist visa with a departure date in 1999 and remains unlawfully present. The agency reiterated that under the current administration, all individuals in the country illegally are subject to deportation.
Ferreira’s legal representative has stated she was in the midst of a lawful immigration process for U.S. citizenship. Her family maintains she had maintained her legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, which offers temporary protection for those who entered the country as minors.
In response to the detention, a family member has initiated an online fundraiser to support legal efforts to prevent Ferreira’s deportation. The campaign has raised a significant sum, with supporters describing Ferreira as a hardworking and kind individual.
A statement from the White House press secretary’s office indicated the families have not been in contact for several years and emphasized that the child’s well-being and privacy are the sole concerns.
The case highlights the direct impact of federal immigration enforcement on families across the nation, including those with connections to prominent political figures.
