ICE Detains Mother of White House Press Secretary’s Nephew; Family Tie Raises Questions

Bruna Ferreira, the mother of an 11-year-old boy who is the nephew of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Revere, Massachusetts, while picking up her son from school. Ferreira’s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, says she selected Leavitt to be the child’s godmother and has remained on civil terms with the Leavitt family despite separating from Leavitt’s brother, Michael.

Pomerleau described the relationship between Ferreira and Michael Leavitt as one that once included an engagement and shared parenting responsibilities. He says Ferreira and the Leavitt family have maintained contact for years and that Leavitt was chosen as godmother over Ferreira’s own sister.

Accounts differ about where the boy has lived. A source familiar with the situation said the child has lived full-time with his father in New Hampshire since birth, while an earlier 2014 local report noted that the parents were living together when the child was an infant.

Federal authorities allege Ferreira overstayed a tourist visa tied to a 1999 departure requirement and note a prior arrest for battery. Pomerleau counters that Ferreira entered the United States legally as a child, later received DACA protections, and has been pursuing a green card for many years.

"The government is claiming she violated the visa, but a six-year-old isn’t responsible for breaking the law," Pomerleau said. "A six-year-old would only become responsible for visa status violations months after turning 18. By then, she already had DACA. But DACA doesn’t lead to a green card, and she’s been applying for one for decades. Then she was detained right before the holidays."

According to family members and legal representatives, Ferreira repeatedly told agents during her arrest that her child’s aunt is Karoline Leavitt, a senior White House official who has been a vocal defender of hardline immigration policies. Leavitt has not issued a public statement about the arrest.

Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, says the family has Leavitt’s phone number and expected an offer of help. "If she were willing to do anything to help us, she would have reached out by now," Rodrigues said. "We’ve been family for years. When it comes to family, you put certain things aside."

Ferreira is currently held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, more than 1,500 miles from where she was detained. Pomerleau criticized the relocation and the effect on the family, saying Ferreira is being separated from her child during the holiday season and is being held in a for-profit facility funded by taxpayers.

"He needs to have his father in his life, just like he needs to have his mother in his life, and they should all be together for this holiday," Pomerleau said. "Instead, she’s sitting in a jail cell far from her family."

Family members and legal counsel continue to seek assistance and clarity about Ferreira’s immigration status and detention. No public response has been issued by the press secretary’s office regarding family outreach or involvement.