CONCORD, N.H. – In a noteworthy decision from an immigration judge, a Brazilian woman with familial connections to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is set to be released from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This ruling allows her to contest her possible deportation.
The woman in question, Bruna Ferreira, 33, has been a resident of Massachusetts for many years. Ferreira is the former fiancée of Michael Leavitt, Karoline Leavitt’s brother, and the two share an 11-year-old son. Her arrest by ICE agents occurred in Revere, Massachusetts, on November 12, as she was on her way to New Hampshire to collect her son.
Following her detention, Ferreira was transferred to a facility in Louisiana. There, an immigration judge decided she could be released on a bond of $1,500, according to her attorney, Todd Pomerleau.
“We argued Ferreira posed neither a danger nor a flight risk,” Pomerleau explained via text message. “The government agreed with our position, did not argue that she was a criminal illegal alien, and waived the right to appeal.”
The Department of Homeland Security had previously labeled Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien” and cited a past arrest for battery, an accusation her attorney refutes. Notably, there was no response from either the department or the White House press secretary regarding these claims on Monday.
Pomerleau elaborated that Ferreira entered the U.S. as a toddler and later became a participant in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program, established during the Obama administration, provides protection from deportation for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Ferreira is currently in the process of applying for a green card, according to her attorney.
Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.
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