ICE Detains Mother of White House Press Secretary's Nephew Amid Deportation Proceedings

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew. Ferreira is currently facing potential deportation to Brazil.

According to NBC News reporting, ICE agents took Ferreira into custody in Massachusetts earlier this month. She is presently being held at a facility located in Louisiana.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Ferreira initially entered the United States on a B2 tourist visa. A DHS spokesperson claimed she is a "criminal illegal alien from Brazil" who remained in the country after her tourist visa expired in June 1999.

Ferreira was reportedly arrested on suspicion of battery. However, her attorney Todd Pomerleau disputes this characterization, stating, "Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I don't know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There's no charges out there. She's not a criminal illegal alien."

Pomerleau further explained that Ferreira "maintained her legal status" under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He added, "She's in the process of actually getting her green card and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving."

Ferreira has an 11-year-old son with Michael Leavitt, who is Karoline Leavitt's brother. According to reports, the child has lived with his father since birth and has not had contact with his mother for several years.

Michael Leavitt released a statement to WBUR saying, "My only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son."

The Trump administration has implemented a strict immigration enforcement approach since taking office earlier this year. The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that "All individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation."