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Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025
Outside the box.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s Relative Detained by ICE in Nationwide Crackdown
Mother of Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew arrested on immigration charges as administration enforces tough deportation policy
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew, was detained on 12 November 2025 in Revere, Massachusetts by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to federal authorities, Ferreira entered the United States decades ago on a B-2 tourist visa that expired in 1999 and was placed in removal proceedings at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
Her relationship to Leavitt — via her son’s father, Leavitt’s brother — drew immediate attention given the press secretary’s central role in shaping immigration policy under President Donald Trump.
A senior administration official confirmed the familial link but said Leavitt has had “no involvement whatsoever” in the case.
In its statement, the Department of Homeland Security alleged Ferreira had a prior battery arrest and described her as a “criminal illegal alien,” prompting her detention under the administration’s renewed immigration crackdown.
Her lawyer counters that no criminal charges are currently listed in Massachusetts public court records and says she maintained her status under the defunct Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, arguing the arrest is unjust.
Ferreira’s sister has launched a fundraising campaign to support legal costs and enable her to contest the deportation order.
The family emphasises that despite long-standing activism for citizenship, Ferreira was taken in custody while en route to pick up her son — who reportedly resides with his father full-time in New Hampshire.
The boy’s well-being has become a pressing concern among relatives following the arrest.
The case highlights the broad scope of enforcement under the current administration and illustrates how widespread ICE’s operations have become — extending even to those with personal connections to senior officials.
Immigration-reform advocates warn that such raids may destabilise families and discourage community cooperation with authorities.
Meanwhile, the administration underscores its mandate to remove individuals considered unlawfully present regardless of personal or political ties.
As legal proceedings continue, the disruption to a child’s life and the public scrutiny of a high-profile family raise difficult questions about the real-world impact of strict immigration enforcement policies under the Trump presidency.
According to federal authorities, Ferreira entered the United States decades ago on a B-2 tourist visa that expired in 1999 and was placed in removal proceedings at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
Her relationship to Leavitt — via her son’s father, Leavitt’s brother — drew immediate attention given the press secretary’s central role in shaping immigration policy under President Donald Trump.
A senior administration official confirmed the familial link but said Leavitt has had “no involvement whatsoever” in the case.
In its statement, the Department of Homeland Security alleged Ferreira had a prior battery arrest and described her as a “criminal illegal alien,” prompting her detention under the administration’s renewed immigration crackdown.
Her lawyer counters that no criminal charges are currently listed in Massachusetts public court records and says she maintained her status under the defunct Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, arguing the arrest is unjust.
Ferreira’s sister has launched a fundraising campaign to support legal costs and enable her to contest the deportation order.
The family emphasises that despite long-standing activism for citizenship, Ferreira was taken in custody while en route to pick up her son — who reportedly resides with his father full-time in New Hampshire.
The boy’s well-being has become a pressing concern among relatives following the arrest.
The case highlights the broad scope of enforcement under the current administration and illustrates how widespread ICE’s operations have become — extending even to those with personal connections to senior officials.
Immigration-reform advocates warn that such raids may destabilise families and discourage community cooperation with authorities.
Meanwhile, the administration underscores its mandate to remove individuals considered unlawfully present regardless of personal or political ties.
As legal proceedings continue, the disruption to a child’s life and the public scrutiny of a high-profile family raise difficult questions about the real-world impact of strict immigration enforcement policies under the Trump presidency.
