In brief
A Brazilian woman, Bruna Ferreira, linked to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, has been released from ICE detention following a ruling by an immigration judge. Ferreira, who has resided in Massachusetts for years, was apprehended while picking up her son. Her attorney successfully argued that she posed no risk of flight or harm, leading to her release on a $1,500 bond, despite previous government claims regarding her immigration status.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Brazilian woman with ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been granted release from ICE custody while contesting her potential deportation, according to a judge's ruling made on Monday.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, a long-term resident of Massachusetts, was apprehended on November 12 while driving to pick up her 11-year-old son. Her arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents occurred in Revere, Massachusetts, sparking media interest due to her relationship with Leavitt's family, as she was previously engaged to Leavitt's brother.
After being placed in a detention facility in Louisiana, Ferreira was ordered released on a $1,500 bond by an immigration judge, as confirmed by her attorney, Todd Pomerleau. He stated, We argued that she wasn’t a danger or a flight risk, and the government accepted our argument without contesting it. They never claimed she was a criminal illegal alien and did not appeal the decision.
Previously, the Department of Homeland Security classified her as a “criminal illegal alien,” alleging involvement in a battery incident, which Ferreira’s attorney has denied. Requests for comments from both the department and Leavitt’s office were unacknowledged.
Pomerleau highlighted that Ferreira came to the U.S. as a toddler and enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a protection established by the Obama administration to shield childhood arrivals from deportation. He noted that she was in the process of applying for permanent residency.
Karoline Leavitt, who has familial ties to Ferreira, was raised in New Hampshire and previously made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2022. She later became a spokesperson for Donald Trump's 2024 campaign and eventually assumed her role in the White House.
