Listen to the article
A Massachusetts woman who was once engaged to the brother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has spent over two weeks in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained while driving to pick up her son from school.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, was pulled over in Revere, Massachusetts on November 12 while en route to collect her 11-year-old son from his school in New Hampshire, according to her attorney Todd Pomerleau.
“She wasn’t told why she was detained,” Pomerleau said Wednesday. “She was bounced from Massachusetts, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, to Louisiana on this unconstitutional merry-go-round.”
Ferreira shares custody of her son with former fiancé Michael Leavitt, who is the brother of Karoline Leavitt, the current White House press secretary for President Donald Trump. Michael Leavitt did not respond to requests for comment, and Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on the situation.
According to Pomerleau, Ferreira and Leavitt have maintained a cooperative co-parenting relationship for several years since their engagement ended. Their son has lived with both parents at different times and regularly spent weekends and nights with his mother.
“She was detained for no reason at all. She’s not dangerous. She’s not a flight risk. She’s not a criminal illegal alien,” Pomerleau stated. “She’s a business owner who pays taxes and has a child who was wondering where mommy was after school two weeks ago.”
Ferreira’s case highlights the intensifying immigration enforcement under the second Trump administration. Her attorney said she came to the United States from Brazil when she was approximately 2 or 3 years old and was later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established under President Barack Obama to protect immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children.
The Department of Homeland Security, however, presents a different account. According to a DHS spokesperson, Ferreira entered the country on a tourist visa that required her departure in 1999. The department also claimed she had a previous arrest for battery, an allegation that Pomerleau firmly denies.
“They’re claiming she has some type of criminal record we’ve seen nowhere. Show us the proof,” Pomerleau challenged. “She would’ve been deported years ago if that was true. And yet, here she is in the middle of this immigration imbroglio.”
An online search of court cases in various Massachusetts communities where Ferreira has resided found no record of a battery charge. New Hampshire court records indicate only two minor motor vehicle violations from 2020 – speeding and driving an unregistered vehicle. These charges were resolved with the condition that she complete a safe driving course and maintain good behavior for one year.
Pomerleau added that his client had been in the process of applying for permanent resident status (a green card) before her detention.
Ferreira’s case reflects broader policy changes under the Trump administration regarding DACA recipients. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin recently clarified the administration’s position, stating that “people who claim to be recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are not automatically protected from deportations. DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country.”
Karoline Leavitt, who has personal connections to the case through her brother, has emerged as a prominent figure in the Trump administration after serving as his campaign spokesperson during the 2024 presidential race. Before joining Trump’s team, she made an unsuccessful bid for Congress from New Hampshire in 2022. She grew up in the state where her brother and nephew currently reside.
The DHS spokesperson confirmed that Ferreira remains in custody in Louisiana as her case proceeds through the immigration system. Her detention has separated her from her business operations and, most significantly, from her young son, who has now been without his mother for more than two weeks.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
5 Comments
The circumstances around Ferreira’s detention by ICE seem quite unclear. More information is needed to understand the full context and rationale behind this case. Detaining a mother while she is en route to pick up her child raises serious concerns.
Yes, the details are murky. ICE should provide a clear explanation for this detention, especially given Ferreira’s family ties to a high-profile White House official. The child’s welfare must be the top priority.
This appears to be a complex situation at the intersection of immigration policy, family dynamics, and political connections. I hope Ferreira’s legal team can work to quickly resolve this matter and reunite her with her son.
This is a concerning case involving family ties and immigration enforcement. It raises questions about the due process and transparency of ICE’s actions. I hope Ferreira is able to resolve this situation and reunite with her son soon.
Agreed, the lack of transparency and communication around her detention is troubling. Hopefully the legal system can provide a fair resolution that prioritizes the wellbeing of the child.