A Massachusetts businesswoman, who was previously engaged to the brother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, has been held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a fortnight following her arrest during a journey to pick up her son.
Details of the Arrest and Detention
Bruna Ferreira, 33, was driving to her 11-year-old son's school in New Hampshire on 12 November when she was pulled over by officials in Revere, Massachusetts. Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, stated that she was not provided with a reason for her initial detention.
"She was bounced from Massachusetts, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, to Louisiana on this unconstitutional merry-go-round," Pomerleau said on Wednesday. He emphasised that Ferreira shares custody of her son with her former fiancé, Michael Leavitt, and they have maintained a co-parenting relationship for years.
Legal Status and Conflicting Claims
Pomerleau explained that his client arrived in the US from Brazil with her family when she was a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme. He confirmed she was in the process of applying for a green card.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated Ferreira originally entered the country on a tourist visa in 1999, which required her to leave. A DHS spokesperson also cited a previous arrest for battery, an allegation her attorney firmly denied. An online search of court records in Massachusetts found no evidence of such a charge.
"They're claiming she has some type of criminal record we've seen nowhere. Show us the proof," Pomerleau challenged. "She's a business owner who pays taxes and has a child who was wondering where mommy was after school two weeks ago."
Broader Immigration Policy Context
The case unfolds against a backdrop of shifting US immigration policy. The Trump administration has moved to alter the approach towards DACA recipients. A recent statement from Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin clarified that DACA does not automatically protect individuals from deportation nor does it confer legal status.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed Ferreira is currently being held at a facility in Louisiana. The White House press secretary has declined to comment on the matter.
