White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s relative arrested by ICE: What we know so far

As part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is sweeping the country and sparing none. With many cases of “illegal aliens” being arrested, now a fresh one has a direct link to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The detained person, identified as Bruna Caroline Ferreira, is the mother of Leavitt’s nephew.

According to the US government, Ferreira is “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil” with “a previous arrest for battery”.

Who is Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s nephew?

Bruna Ferreira is a Boston-area resident who reportedly migrated to the US with her family from Brazil in 1998 as a child.

The 33-year-old was engaged to Karoline Leavitt’s brother, Michael Leavitt. The two have a son aged 11. The child has lived with his father in New Hampshire since birth, and after the couple separated roughly 10 years ago, CNN affiliate WBUR reported, quoting a Trump administration official.

According to Todd Pomerleau, Ferreira’s lawyer, the two share joint custody of the boy.

Michael Leavitt told WMUR that Ferreira has maintained a relationship with their son. However, the boy has not spoken to his mother since her detention. Describing the situation as difficult, he said that he just wanted the best for his son.

Why was Bruna Caroline Ferreira arrested?

Ferreira was arrested while leaving her home to pick up her son from school, according to a report in the _Boston Glob_e.

Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, told the publication that ICE agents demanded her name and driver’s licence. However, she did not have an identification card.

Rodrigues said that they were not gentle with her sister.

“My sister was terrified, I am sure. She’s been here since she was six years old. She’s more American than she is anything else. I’m sure she tried to just use whatever she could come up with in the moment. However, it didn’t really help very much,” Rodrigues said.

Ferreira is detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre in Basile, according to her attorney, Pomerleau. The facility is more than 2,400 km from where the woman was arrested.

What is the US administration saying about her arrest?

Describing Ferreria as “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil” with “a previous arrest for battery”, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Bruna Caroline Ferreira is in the process of being deported from the US.

“ICE arrested Bruna Caroline Ferreria, a criminal illegal alien from Brazil. She has a previous arrest for battery. She entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the US by 6 June 1999. She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre and is in removal proceedings,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation,” she added.

Why does Ferreira’s lawyer call the arrest ‘illegal’?

However, no battery charges against Ferreira are available in Massachusetts’ online court records. Pomerleau said.

Calling the arrest “illegal”, the attorney told WBUR, “My understanding is she was never served any type of warrant to detain her. I don’t even know if they knew who she was. We’re going to get to the bottom of that.”

He said that they are labelling her a “criminal” based on “some charge that I have never seen; they don’t even exist”, adding that “I mean, show me that.”

“We dispute that she has any criminal record. She is not a ‘criminal illegal alien,’” Pomerleau said.

Pomerleau even went on to say that Ferreira was a former recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which provides temporary protection from deportation for those who enter into the United States as children.

“She was in the middle of a lawful immigration process for US citizenship; however, unable to renew her legal status under DACA years ago when the US government under Trump attempted to end the programme,” Pomerleau added.

However, McLaughlin told The Associated Press, “Those with status under the Obama-era programme “are not automatically protected from deportations”.

To pay for the legal fees, Ferreira’s sister has started a GoFundMe page.

“My sister followed every requirement and has always strived to do the right thing,” the GoFundMe page says. “A hardworking, kind, and always the first to offer help when someone needs it. Whether it’s supporting family, friends, or even strangers, Bruna has a heart that puts others before herself,” Rodrigues wrote.

The page has raised more than $30,000 (Rs 26.78 lakh) so far.

Is Leavitt in touch with Ferreira?

The White House press secretary and Ferreira have not spoken in years.

“Karoline had no involvement whatsoever in this matter,” the administration official confirmed. Leavitt has declined to comment on the arrest.

With inputs from agencies