The Brazilian mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt‘s 11-year-old nephew has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for overstaying her visa by decades.
Bruna Caroline Ferreria was formerly engaged to Michael Leavitt, the press secretary’s brother. The pair has joint custody over their son, CNN reported.
Ferreria has lived in the U.S. illegally since overstaying her visa in June 1999, and her attorney said she is a former recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. She was unable to renew her status during President Donald Trump’s first term, the attorney added.
Ferreria is the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, and they have not spoken in many years, a source familiar told the Washington Examiner. The child has lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born and has never lived with his mother, they added.
She was arrested while driving to pick up her son in New Hampshire, CNN reported. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson referred to her as a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” and confirmed her arrest. The spokesperson also noted Ferreria has a prior arrest for battery.
Her attorney said Ferreira is a good mother, and he’s fighting to get her out of custody.
“I’m just trying to fight to get her out of jail. She should not be sitting in a jail hours away from her family and from her child’s life. She’s a great mom, and from what I heard, I think he’s been a pretty good dad,” Todd Pomerleau, Ferreira’s attorney, said.
DHS said she’s being detained in Louisiana and is undergoing removal proceedings.
“She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by June 6, 1999,” a DHS spokesperson said. “She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
Michael Leavitt told WMUR that he wants the best for his son, and his biggest concern is his son’s safety and well-being following the arrest.
A GoFundMe has been started for Ferreira by her sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, for legal fees and expenses. More than $16,500 has been raised so far. Rodrigues said Ferreira was brought to the U.S. as a child in December 1998.
“My family is going through one of the most difficult moments of our lives, and we’re reaching out with a humble plea for help. My sister, Bruna, was recently detained by immigration and is now fighting to stay in the country she has called home for nearly her entire life,” she wrote.
“Since then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here. She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing,” she added.
Rodrigues said Ferreira’s absence has been “especially painful” for her son. “Bruna’s absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Junior, who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays,” she wrote.
Trump attempted to end DACA during his first term, but was rebuffed by the court for not taking the proper steps to do so. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin recently told the Associated Press that those under DACA “are not automatically protected from deportations,” and added, “DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House press secretary for comment, but did not receive a response.