Patriot Brief
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What Happened: DHS detained Bruna Ferreira, mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, for overstaying a visa that expired in 1999.
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Why It Matters: The case shows Trump’s tightened immigration enforcement applies universally, even to people loosely connected to the White House.
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Bottom Line: DHS says everyone here unlawfully is subject to deportation. Ferreira’s arrest signals that the era of selective enforcement is over.
Federal immigration officials have detained the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, highlighting the renewed seriousness of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. Bruna Caroline Ferreira, a Brazilian national, was arrested in Revere, Massachusetts after overstaying a tourist visa that expired in June of 1999. The Department of Homeland Security described her as “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil,” though her attorney disputes that characterization.
Ferreira shares an 11-year-old son with Leavitt’s brother, Michael. He told WMUR, “The only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son.” Leavitt declined public comment, and a source close to the family emphasized that Ferreira has not been part of their lives for years. “The child has lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother,” the source said.
The woman, Bruna Caroline Ferreira, is from Brazil and the mother of Leavitt's nephew. She was arrested near Boston on November 12, according to her attorney, who spoke with CNN. The outlet reports Leavitt's nephew lives full-time in New Hampshire with her brother, Michael.… pic.twitter.com/KmA44IqJvZ
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 26, 2025
Ferreira was once arrested on suspicion of battery, though no charges appear in Massachusetts’ court records. She is currently being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and faces removal proceedings. DHS stated, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
The press is going to try to run with this story pushing a lie that a relative of Karoline's was detained for deportation. Don't believe it.
The Real Story
The mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, Bruna Caroline Ferreira, is now in ICE custody… pic.twitter.com/CzsO4Q57Bs
— Kim "Katie" USA (@KimKatieUSA) November 26, 2025
Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, insists she “maintained her legal status” through DACA and was in the process of securing a green card. “She was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving,” he argued. He also pushed back on DHS’s characterization. “Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever. Show us the proof.”
A GoFundMe set up by relatives claims Ferreira was brought to the U.S. at age five and has “always strived to do the right thing,” though her visa legally expired 25 years ago.
Meanwhile, Trump’s broader deportation campaign remains clear: the law applies to everyone. And this case proves DHS is enforcing it.