The mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew has become the latest target in what lawyers describe as Donald Trump's "random and cruel mass deportation campaign." Bruna Ferreira, a 33-year-old Brazilian mother, was arrested by federal officers earlier this month while driving to collect her 11-year-old son from school.
Family Ties to White House Inner Circle
Ferreira's case has drawn particular attention due to her family connection to Karoline Leavitt, the Trump administration's chief spokesperson. Ferreira was previously engaged to Michael Leavitt, the press secretary's brother, and they share custody of their son who now lives with Michael and his wife in New Hampshire.
Despite these family ties, Ferreira remains detained hundreds of miles from her Massachusetts home at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana. Her legal team reports that neither Karoline Leavitt nor other White House representatives have reached out to assist with her case.
DACA Protections Under Threat
Ferreira arrived in the United States from Brazil in 1998 when she was approximately six years old. She received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme and was in the process of obtaining a green card when immigration authorities arrested her on November 12.
Her case represents one of more than twenty DACA recipients detained by immigration authorities since January, according to advocacy group Home Is Here. Jeffrey Rubin, Ferreira's attorney, characterised the administration's approach as involving "warrantless searches and deportations without due process."
Contested Allegations and Family Appeals
Homeland Security officials have labelled Ferreira a "criminal illegal alien" accused of battery, though her lawyers state they have "found nothing" supporting these claims. Authorities also allege she overstayed a tourist visa that required her departure in 1999 - when she was just seven years old.
Ferreira's younger sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, has launched a GoFundMe campaign for legal defence funds. She revealed that Michael Leavitt and his father Bob had urged Ferreira to "self-deport" following her arrest.
"Brazil is not her home," Dos Santos Rodrigues told the Boston Globe. "They're trying to push it off as a vacation. That's not a vacation. Bruna barely speaks the language."
Broader Immigration Policy Context
The Trump administration has actively sought to reshape DACA, with Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasising that the programme "does not confer any form of legal status in this country." New DACA applications have been suspended for nearly a decade since the first Trump administration attempted to terminate the programme entirely.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council noted there remains "a strong bipartisan consensus that people like her should have a path to stay."
Ferreira's legal team is currently pursuing a bond hearing to secure her release from ICE custody. This development comes as a federal judge in California recently struck down a Trump administration policy that required immigrants to remain detained throughout removal proceedings, potentially allowing thousands to be released.
