Mother of Press Secretary’s Nephew Detained by ICE

The blaring headline I initially saw on this was that it had been Karoline Leavitt’s ‘sister-in-law’ who’d been snatched up.

🚨BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt’s SISTER in law has been CAPTURED by ICE. pic.twitter.com/i0Cm4PCxr3

— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) November 26, 2025

Pretty salacious, huh?

Like OMG

Well, yeah. The detention of this person by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is true. It happened during a traffic stop in Revere, Massachusetts, with her subsequent removal to an ICE processing center in Louisiana. 

But while Bruna Caroline Ferreira is the mother of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s young nephew, what she is most definitely not is her ‘sister-in-law.’

The whole situation is terribly sad. I know different elements of it can sound awfully familiar to a lot of families, and it has absolutely turned the howling jackals on the Left loose.

It seems Ms Ferreira was at one time a DACA baby from Brazil. You’ll notice the careful verbiage in the public radio report – ‘migrated’ versus ‘immigrated.’

…Bruna Ferreira, a Boston-area resident who migrated with her family to the U.S. from Brazil as a child, according to her sister and immigration authorities, is now in custody at an ICE facility in Louisiana.

From the different, often confusing reports, it seems Ms Ferreira had entered on a tourist visa that required her to leave the country in June of 1999 – that makes for quite an overstay.

Her lawyer says that’s all a terrible mistake. She’s actually a DACA baby who’s in the process of getting her green card.

…However, Todd Pomerleau, Ferreira’s attorney, insists she came to the U.S. legally under DACA and is in the process of getting her green card.

Being the cynic I am, I have a bad case of ‘What took so long if that’s true?’

The answer might well be in DHS’s assertion that Ms Ferreira also has an arrest for battery, which would nullify her DACA status.

…A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Bruna Caroline Ferreira is a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” who overstayed her tourist visa, which expired in June 1999.

The woman has an arrest on suspicion of battery, the spokesperson said. It’s not clear how the case was resolved.

Karoline Leavitt’s connection is her brother Michael, who, years ago, was once engaged to Ms Ferreira, with whom he had a son.

The couple never married, the little guy has always lived with his father, and the relationship broke up about ten years ago.

…Michael Leavitt, the press secretary’s brother, had a relationship with Ferreira, and the two have a son.

A Trump administration official confirmed the connection between Ferreira, Michael Leavitt and his sister Karoline Leavitt — the 28-year-old New Hampshire native who rose from relative obscurity to occupy one of the most prominent positions in the White House. The official said the child’s parents have not spoken in years, and that the child has lived full-time in New Hampshire with Michael Leavitt since his birth.

WBUR could not immediately confirm whether the boy only lived with his father after the couple separated roughly 10 years ago.

For her part, reports say the press secretary hasn’t spoken to her nephew’s mother ‘in many years.’ 

And why would she?

That makes perfect sense considering the circumstances, as does her ‘No comment‘ when asked about the situation. 

It’s really none of her beeswax other than concern for her nephew.

…Karoline Leavitt, a New Hampshire native from Atkinson, was appointed White House press secretary by President Donald Trump in November 2024. A source said that Karoline Leavitt has not spoken to Ferreira in many years.

When asked about the arrest, Karoline Leavitt told News 9 that she has no comment.

It’s interesting that Ms Ferreira’s sisters are here in the States and have started a GoFundMe for her. It kind of begs the question: were the sisters born here, or, if not, did they get the paperwork done successfully that their sister couldn’t?

…He called the arrest “illegal,” and said, “ My understanding is she was never served any type of warrant to detain her. I don’t even know if they knew necessarily who she was. We’re going to get to the bottom of that.”

Pomerleau said Ferreira was unable to renew her legal status — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA — and is currently in the process of seeking permanent residence in the U.S.

I won’t dazzle you with all the vicious vitriol wishing ill on the press secretary for whatever degree of real or imagined emotional harm she’s caused her family or the insane speculation.

Karoline Leavitt’s brother knocked up a Brazilian babe and then stole the baby???

Explain further, please.

There has to be paperwork on the custody process.

— Hollywood LA News (@HollywoodLANews) November 26, 2025

Suffice it to say, there are sick, sad people who pop up at the drop of a hat.

The ‘how do you like it now that it’s your FAMILY‘ are out of control, too.

And the sordid attempts to tie her to a story about a woman she’s had zero contact with are par for the course. ‘Leavitt’s nephew’ is how the young man is referred to throughout the reports. 

He is never ‘Ferreira’s son’ even though his mother’s illegal, decades-long actions – and her inaction correcting them – are the crux of the story and the reason for all the hubbub.

Just another day in the crosshairs of the resistance press.

At HotAir, we’ve been dealing with real government suppression of free speech for YEARS. Despite the threats and consequences, we refuse to go silent and remain committed to delivering the truth.

But we can’t do it without your support.

Please help Ed, David, John, and me continue fighting back against government censorship by joining our terrific HotAir VIP community today. Use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.

And thank you so much again for being here with us at HotAir.