The brother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has publicly clashed with The Washington Post over a report that challenges the official White House account of his relationship with the mother of his child, a Brazilian immigrant detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Contested Narrative Over Family Ties
Michael Leavitt, 35, has furiously denied any involvement in the arrest of Bruna Ferreira, the mother of his 11-year-old son. Ferreira, 33, was taken into ICE custody on 12 November 2025 in Revere, Massachusetts, while reportedly on her way to collect her son from school. The White House has previously characterised Ferreira as an absent mother, but newly revealed court records and family photographs suggest a much closer, longer-term involvement with the Leavitt family.
Ferreira came to the United States from Brazil in 1998 aged six and was later granted protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme. She met Michael Leavitt in a nightclub and the couple had a child in 2014, were engaged, and even shared a home. Their relationship ended in 2015.
A Messy Custody Battle and Deportation Threats
The report details a protracted and acrimonious custody dispute. Both parties have made allegations of abuse and neglect in court filings. Ferreira claims Michael Leavitt once threatened to have her deported during their relationship—an allegation given new weight by her recent detention. Following their split, a 2021 agreement allowed their son to live with his father in New Hampshire during school weeks, with Ferreira having him on weekends.
Ferreira told The Washington Post she once considered Karoline Leavitt a sister and had asked her to be her son's godmother. "I made a mistake there, in trusting," Ferreira stated, expressing bewilderment at the narrative being presented. Michael Leavitt, in text messages to the newspaper, insisted: "I had no involvement in her being picked up by ICE. I have no control over that and had no involvement in that whatsoever."
Political Spotlight on Personal Tragedy
Ferreira's arrest occurs within the context of the Trump administration's intensified deportation campaigns. Her lawyer, Jeffrey Rubin, highlighted the irony, noting that while her connection to the White House inner circle has generated publicity, she is one of thousands facing similar treatment daily.
The Department of Homeland Security has labelled Ferreira a "criminal," though her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, confirms she has no criminal record. Ferreira remains held at an ICE Processing Center in South Louisiana. She says the White House's claims that she never lived with her child are "disgusting" and false, describing herself as a devoted mother.
Michael Leavitt and his father have reportedly urged Ferreira to "self-deport," a move that would trigger a 10-year ban on re-entering the US. Ferreira's greatest fear, she says, is the image of her son waiting at a school pickup line with no one there to collect him. "It's just very unfortunate that this is the way that things have transpired," she concluded.
