Karoline Leavitt’s Family Member Detained by ICE for Visa Overstay, Faces Deportation

A family member of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), drawing public attention due to Leavitt’s strong defence of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and nationwide raids.

Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew, was taken into federal custody earlier this month in Revere, Massachusetts. Ferreira is currently being held at an ICE facility in Louisiana and is facing deportation to Brazil.

Family Distance and Custody Details

According to sources quoted by the Daily Beast, Bruna has not been in contact with Karoline Leavitt “for several years.” She is the former partner of Leavitt’s brother, Michael Leavitt, with whom she shares an 11-year-old son.

A source close to the family clarified that the child has lived exclusively with his father in New Hampshire since birth and “has never resided with his mother.”

ICE Allegations and Visa Violation

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said Ferreira entered the US on a B2 tourist visa, which expired in June 1999, adding that she had previously been arrested for battery.

The spokesperson described her as a “criminal illegal alien,” stating that under Trump’s immigration directive, “all individuals unlawfully present in the US are subject to deportation.”

Karoline Leavitt has declined to comment publicly on the situation. Michael Leavitt issued a brief statement emphasising the privacy and safety of his child as his primary concern.

Legal Defence and Dispute Over Immigration Status

Ferreira’s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, argued that she came to the US legally as a child and was protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He said she had been in the process of applying for a green card before her detention.

DHS disputed this claim, stating that DACA recipients lose eligibility if they are convicted of crimes.

GoFundMe Campaign Launched

Bruna’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, has started a GoFundMe campaign seeking $30,000 to fund legal efforts to prevent deportation. The campaign has already raised more than $14,000.

The case has sparked discussion due to the political context and Leavitt’s prominent role defending the administration’s hardline immigration stance, even as a member of her extended family now faces deportation under the same policy framework.