The mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s brother’s son is in ICE custody after being identified as an illegal alien who overstayed her visa.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Bruna Caroline Ferreira into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, several weeks ago. Ferreira, who arrived in the United States from Brazil as a child in 1998 on a B2 tourist visa, overstayed her authorized period, which required her to leave by June 6, 1999. Now held at a detention facility in southern Louisiana, she faces deportation proceedings amid the Trump administration’s push to remove those unlawfully present in the country.
Ferreira is the mother of an 11-year-old boy, Michael Leavitt Jr. The child has lived full-time with his father and stepmother in New Hampshire since birth and has not spoken with his mother since her detention. A source familiar with the family dynamics noted, “This individual is the mother of Karoline’s nephew and they have not spoken in many years. The child has lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson described Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” with a previous arrest for battery. The spokesperson added, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
Ferreira’s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, disputed the claims, stating, “Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I don’t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There’s no charges out there. She’s not a criminal illegal alien.” He also said Ferreira was “in the process of actually getting her residency and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving.”
Family members launched a GoFundMe to cover legal fees, describing Ferreira as “hardworking, kind, and always ready to help others.” They wrote, “Bruna’s absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Junior, who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays.”
Michael Leavitt, the boy’s father, emphasized his priorities: “My only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son.”
The arrest of someone connected to a key administration figure demonstrates that immigration enforcement applies across the board.
