Bruna Ferreira, the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew, has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Revere, Massachusetts, as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Ferreira, 33, is now held at an ICE facility in Louisiana, according to local reports.
Ferreira was leaving her home to pick up her 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Jr, from school when her car was 'suddenly swarmed' by agents, her sister told the Boston Globe. The agents demanded identification, but Ferreira did not have a driver's licence. Her sister described the encounter as frightening, noting that Ferreira has lived in the US since age six.
A White House source said Ferreira and Leavitt have not spoken in years, and the child has lived full-time with his father, Michael Leavitt, in New Hampshire since birth. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Ferreira is a 'criminal illegal alien' with a prior arrest for battery, and that she entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that expired in 1999. She is now in removal proceedings.
Ferreira's attorney, Todd Pomerleau, stated that she was arrested on 12 November and is in the midst of a lawful immigration process for US citizenship. Her sister has launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising over $16,000 for legal costs. The campaign says Ferreira has maintained her status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme and has always followed requirements.
Karoline Leavitt, 28, made history as the youngest-ever White House press secretary when Trump took office in January. Her brother, Michael Leavitt, won $1m in a fantasy sports contest in 2014, when he and Ferreira were engaged and their son was eight months old.
