President Donald Trump views illegal immigration as one of the greatest dangers to the United States and has advocated for stricter measures against anyone residing in the country without legal permission.
However, these strict policies are now affecting individuals connected to the top leaders in the White House.
Came in 1998
The case of Bruna Ferreira — the mother of Karoline Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew — has gained national attention after she was arrested by ICE as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on immigration.
Ferreira, who arrived in the U.S. from Brazil as a child in 1998 on a tourist visa that has since expired, is currently detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
Officials report that she is facing removal proceedings and could be sent back to Brazil. The Department of Homeland Security mentioned that she has a prior arrest for battery and that, according to current policy, anyone illegally in the country can be deported.
A White House official confirmed the family link to WBUR but stressed that Leavitt had “no involvement whatsoever in this matter.”
Launched a fundraiser
Ferreira was once in a relationship with Michael Leavitt, who is the brother of the White House Press Secretary, and they have an 11-year-old son together, Michael Leavitt Jr.
One source from the administration told Daily Beat that Ferreira hasn’t been in touch with Leavitt’s brother Michael for years, and that their son, Michael Jr., has been living full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born.
Michael Leavitt emphasized that his main worry has always been the safety, wellbeing, and privacy of his son.
The situation became known to the public when Ferreira’s sister started a GoFundMe campaign, highlighting the family’s struggles and asserting that Ferreira has worked diligently to build her life in the U.S., including being part of the DACA program.
She claimed that Bruna has always aimed to do the right thing and mentioned that her detention has been particularly hard on her 11-year-old son, who is hoping she will return home for the holidays.
ICE confirmed that Ferreira was detained in Massachusetts earlier this month. While officials state that she is facing removal, her family is currently working to gather funds for legal help to contest her deportation.
Even though the Trump administration has promised extensive deportations, ICE has not regularly disclosed its deportation statistics, according to NBC News.
In a briefing to Congress last year, the agency reported that by July, it had identified around 435,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal records who were still residing in the U.S. and not in custody.
