The mother of Karoline Leavitt's nephew was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil,” was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, after overstaying her tourist visa that expired in June 1999, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security.
Ferreira has an 11-year-old son with Leavitt’s older brother, Michael.
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
Karoline Leavitt’s nephew’s mom is in ICE custody.
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) November 26, 2025
The kid (white shirt), his dad, and his step mom visited Trump in the Oval Office in April.
Trump gave the nephew a Trump challenge coin. pic.twitter.com/VljThGT5xw
“The only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son,” Michael Leavitt told WMUR. Karoline Leavitt declined to comment. A source said the two women have not spoken in many 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 continued.
“She entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the US by June 6, 1999,” the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News. “She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
Ferreira’s lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, is contesting her arrest, arguing she “maintained her legal status” under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“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,” Pomerleau said. “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.”
Ferreira was previously arrested on suspicion of battery. The outcome of that case is unclear, and no charges appear in Massachusetts’ online court records.
“I’m just trying to fight to get her out of jail. She should not be sitting in a jail hours away from her family and from her child’s life. She’s a great mom, and from what I heard, I think he’s been a pretty good dad,” he said. “His mother is locked up in Louisiana, where she should have never been in the first place."