The family of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew’s mother has spoken out after her detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Earlier this week, Bruna Ferreira, who came to the U.S. from Brazil as a child in 1998 on a tourist visa that later expired, was picked up by ICE. She is currently being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
According to officials, she faces removal proceedings and could be deported back to Brazil. DHS stated that she previously had an arrest for battery and that, under current policy, anyone unlawfully in the country is subject to deportation.
A White House official confirmed the family connection to WBUR but emphasized that Leavitt had “no involvement whatsoever in this matter.”
Ferreira was previously in a relationship with Michael Leavitt, the brother of the White House Press Secretary. The two share an 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Jr., but are believed to have been separated for over a decade.
Michael, who is said to taken care of their son since birth, stressed that his “only concern has always been the safety, wellbeing, and privacy” of his son.
Ferreira was allegedly detained after being accused of overstaying a B2 tourist visa, which expired in 1999, and having a previous arrest for battery.
“She has a previous arrest for battery. 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 told The Daily Beast.
Ferreira’s legal team, however, disputes the claims, insisting that Ferreira has no criminal convictions.
The woman’s family are now speaking out to defend her, with her sister speaking to the Boston Globe to challenge the narrative that she is a “criminal illegal alien”.
“She’s more American than she is anything else,” said Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues. She also took aim at Karoline Leavitt, criticizing the press secretary’s lack of support.
“If she were to help in any way, if she were willing to do anything to help us, she would have reached out by now. She has my phone number. We’ve been family for the last 13 years,” Rodrigues said.
“I understand the policies and how it looks. But I also think when it comes to family, you put certain things aside. I don’t care who you work for,” she added.
She also confirmed that Bob Leavitt, Karoline’s father, had made efforts to reach out to Ferreira.
While officials maintain Ferreira is subject to removal, her family is now trying to raise money for legal representation to fight her deportation.
Although the Trump administration has vowed large-scale deportations, ICE has not consistently made its deportation numbers public, NBC News reports.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been an outspoken supporter of the immigration enforcement, stating earlier this year: “If you invade our nation’s borders… you are going to be deported… and you may be held at Guantanamo Bay.”
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