ICE detains mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew – WCVB

A woman who shares a child with the brother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to local media reports. She is currently being held at a federal immigration facility in southern Louisiana.

The woman, identified by WCVB as Bruna Ferreira, was taken into custody several weeks ago in Revere, Massachusetts. ICE confirmed her detention in a statement to the outlet.

WCVB reported that Ferreira has an 11-year-old son with Michael Leavitt, the press secretary’s brother, and that she migrated to the United States from Brazil as a child.

Michael Leavitt, who lives in New Hampshire, told WCVB that his son lives with him and his wife full-time and has done so since birth. He said that Ferreira maintained a relationship with her son but that they have not spoken since she was detained.

An attorney for Ferreira, Todd Pomerleau, told WCVB that she was brought to the United States as a child and has been living here under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He said she was in the process of seeking residency when she was detained.

In a statement, ICE described Ferreira as “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil” with a prior arrest for battery. The agency said she entered the United States on a tourist visa requiring her departure in 1999 and is now in removal proceedings.

Pomerleau told WCVB that Ferreira has no criminal history. “Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever,” he said. “I don’t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There’s no charges out there. She’s not a criminal illegal alien.”