White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's relative 'abruptly arrested' by ICE despite living in US for decades
Bruna Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, after being arrested on suspicion of battery on November 12
A woman with close family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, amid Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
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Bruna Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, after being arrested on suspicion of battery on November 12.
She is now being held at an ICE facility in southern Louisiana, nearly 1,700 miles from home, as removal proceedings move forward.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told NBC News that Ferreira is a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” who overstayed a tourist visa that expired in 1999.
Under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the spokesperson said: "All individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. are subject to deportation”.
In a GoFundMe set up to cover her legal costs, Ferreira’s family described her as “hardworking” and “kind,” with “a heart that always puts others first".
Read more: British mum detained by ICE agents in California as six-month old baby and stunned husband watch on
Ferreira shares an 11-year-old son with Leavitt’s brother, Michael, with whom she shares joint custody.
Her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, says she was arrested while driving to pick up her son and insists she has no criminal record.
He said: “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.
“She's in the process of actually getting her residency and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving.”
Meanwhile, Michael Leavitt has said his son lives with him full-time but has always had a relationship with his mother, adding that the boy has been unable to speak with her since her detention “several weeks ago".
Ferreira’s family has launched a GoFundMe to cover legal costs and have described her as a hardworking mother.
They said: “My sister, Bruna, was recently detained by immigration and is now fighting to stay in the country she has called home for nearly her entire life."
The family argued that Ferreira was brought to the United States in 1998 on a visa, and has since done “everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here”.
They added: “She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing.
“Anyone who knows Bruna knows the kind of person she is. She is hardworking, kind, and always the first to offer help when someone needs it.
“Whether it's supporting family, friends, or even strangers, Bruna has a heart that puts others before herself.
“Bruna's absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she'll be home in time for the holidays."
Karoline Leavitt has not commented on the case.