Judge orders the release of an immigrant with ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

Immigration Judge Orders Release of Brazilian Woman with Ties to White House Press Secretary

A Brazilian woman with family connections to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while her deportation case proceeds through the legal system, according to a ruling issued Monday by an immigration judge.

Bruna Ferreira, 33, who has lived in Massachusetts for many years, was granted release on a $1,500 bond from a detention facility in Louisiana. Ferreira was previously engaged to Michael Leavitt, the brother of the current White House press secretary, and shares an 11-year-old son with him.

The Brazilian national was arrested by ICE agents on November 12 in Revere, Massachusetts, while she was driving to New Hampshire to pick up her son. Following her arrest, authorities transferred her to a detention facility in Louisiana, where her case was heard.

“We argued that she wasn’t a danger or a flight risk,” her attorney Todd Pomerleau said in a text message following the decision. “The government stipulated to our argument and never once argued that she was a criminal illegal alien and waived appeal.”

This statement directly contradicts earlier characterizations from the Department of Homeland Security, which had previously labeled Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and claimed she had been arrested for battery. Pomerleau has firmly denied these allegations.

The case highlights ongoing tensions in U.S. immigration enforcement. According to Pomerleau, Ferreira came to the United States as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA, established during the Obama administration, provides temporary protection from deportation to individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children, often referred to as “Dreamers.”

Pomerleau noted that his client had been in the process of applying for permanent residency through a green card application when she was detained.

The case has drawn additional attention due to Ferreira’s connection to Karoline Leavitt, who currently serves as press secretary in the Trump White House. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress from her home state in 2022 before joining Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign as a spokesperson. Following Trump’s election victory, she was appointed to her current White House position.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment on the judge’s decision, nor did the White House press office.

Immigration enforcement has been a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s policy agenda, with the president pledging to carry out mass deportations during his second term. This case comes amid reports of increased ICE enforcement actions nationwide following Trump’s return to office.

Immigration advocates have raised concerns about the targeting of long-term U.S. residents with family ties and ongoing immigration proceedings, arguing that such enforcement actions separate families and disrupt communities.

While Ferreira’s immediate release has been secured, she still faces potential deportation as her case moves through the immigration court system. The timeline for resolution remains uncertain, as immigration courts continue to face significant backlogs nationwide.

For now, the ruling allows Ferreira to reunite with her son while she continues her legal fight to remain in the country she has called home since early childhood.