Karoline Leavitt Goes Mute After Family Member Is Captured by ICE Goons

November 26, 2025 Gloria Shaw

Boston, MA – Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on November 12, while driving to pick up her son from Leavitt’s brother Michael’s home in New Hampshire, according to CNN and CNN affiliate WMUR.

The arrest of the Brazilian-born woman, who entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that expired in June 1999, has thrust Leavitt’s family into the spotlight of President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda, with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirming she is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center awaiting removal.

Ferreira, who shares the nephew with Leavitt’s brother Michael, was stopped in Revere, Massachusetts — about seven miles north of Boston — while en route to New Hampshire. Ferreira and Karoline Leavitt “have not spoken in many years,” and the boy has lived full-time with Michael since birth, never residing with his mother.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, “She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by June 6, 1999. She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”

DHS also alleged Ferreira has a previous arrest for battery, though details are unclear. WBUR, a Boston University-affiliated public broadcaster, could not find any criminal charges in Massachusetts’ online database.

Ferreira’s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, disputed the claim, “Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever. Show us the proof. There’s no charges out there. She’s not a criminal, illegal alien — we’re hearing that said about anyone who’s not a U.S. citizen.”

Pomerleau told CNN Ferreira was formerly protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and had been pursuing a “lawful immigration process” for citizenship. She was unable to renew DACA after Trump’s failed first-term attempt to eliminate it.

Michael Leavitt said the situation is “difficult,” with his “biggest concern is his son’s safety and well-being.” Ferreira’s son has not been in contact with her since the detention.

Bruna Caroline Ferreira and her 11 year-old son

No Word From Karoline Leavitt

Karoline Leavitt has remained silent since Bruna Ferreira was taken into ICE custody this month, Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, told the Boston Globe.

According to Dos Santos Rodrigues, her sister has been part of the Leavitt family for more than a decade, having had a son with Leavitt’s brother, Michael Leavitt Sr.

“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,” Dos Santos Rodrigues told the Globe. “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.”

Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, launched a GoFundMe to fund legal fees and family support. “Bruna was brought to the United States by our parents in December of 1998, when she was just a child, entering on a visa. Since then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here. She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing,” Rodrigues wrote.

“Anyone who knows Bruna knows the kind of person she is. She is hardworking, kind, and always the first to offer help when someone needs it. Whether it’s supporting family, friends, or even strangers, Bruna has a heart that puts others before herself,” she added. “Her absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son. He needs his mother and hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays.”

TOP STORIES

Ferreira’s arrest exemplifies Trump’s second-term immigration surge. In a November 2, 60 Minutes interview, Trump said ICE raids “haven’t gone far enough” yet, blaming “liberal judges put in by Biden and Obama.” Since January 2025, ICE has detained 1.2 million, per DHS data, including 150,000 with no criminal record.

Pomerleau told CNN the arrest was “retaliatory,” noting Ferreira’s DACA compliance and citizenship application.

Ferreira’s removal hearing is scheduled for December 15, in Louisiana. Pomerleau plans a habeas petition.