The wife of the New York man whose viral pet squirrel, Peanut, was seized and euthanized by wildlife officials in 2024 has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities.
Daniela Bittner, a German national, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in mid-October at a small airport near New York’s border with Pennsylvania, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Bittner and her husband of four years, Mark Longo, were on their way to a TikTok event when officers approached them, The New York Post reported.
Longo said the detention resulted from what he characterized as a minor paperwork problem. According to the AP, the couple made an error on one of Bittner’s immigration forms and did not discover it while dealing with the seizure and euthanasia of Peanut.
Mark Longo, center, and his wife, Daniela Bittner, left, speak at a news conference April 8, 2025, in Albany, New York. Longo says a paperwork error led to Bittner’s ICE detention. (AP Photo/Michael Hill)
“She came into this country legally on a visa. We filed the paperwork and stuff, and apparently the government is saying we filed the wrong piece of paper,” Longo told The Post.
“They had asked for additional information, which we provided. Then apparently they sent a letter saying it was denied because we filed the wrong paperwork, which we never received,” he said.
“This is a minor paperwork issue, and it’s being treated as if my wife literally crawled out of a hole to get into this country,” Longo added.
Peanut was rescued by his adoptive human parents at 5 weeks old after his mother was struck and killed by a car. (peanut_the_squirrel12 via Instagram)
Longo said Bittner has no criminal record and received the maximum penalty, potentially leaving her facing deportation without a hearing, according to The Post.
The couple reportedly married in 2022, soon after Bittner returned to Germany to address a visa issue.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the outlet that Bittner legally entered the United States several times between May 2021 and November 2022. Each time, she was granted permission to remain for a limited period.
DHS, however, said she was arrested because she “chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation’s laws.”
“To be clear, a pending application does not confer legal status in the United States,” DHS told The Post.
Bittner has reportedly been moved among several detention facilities, including locations in Syracuse, Buffalo, Louisiana and, eventually, Texas.
Longo described the conditions she has encountered in federal custody as “deplorable,” the AP reported.
Bittner’s arrest has also put the couple’s nonprofit animal rescue operation in jeopardy. She reportedly helps care for about 600 animals rescued from neglect.
“If my wife gets deported for a paperwork issue, we will lose EVERYTHING we worked for. Our Nonprofit Animal Sanctuary will close, and 600 animals will have to find another home. All we wanted was to be left alone. We finally moved on from the tragic murder of P’Nut, now to this,” Longo said.
Peanut the squirrel eats peanuts in a photo shared on Instagram. (peanut_the_squirrel12 via Instagram)
The couple became the focus of a nationwide wildlife controversy in 2024 after New York wildlife officials seized and euthanized Peanut, prompting widespread public outrage.
Longo rescued Peanut when the squirrel was just 5 weeks old, after its mother was reportedly hit and killed by a car. The animal later became a viral social media star with a substantial online following.
