(REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is facing an unexpected personal test as a close family member, Bruna Caroline Ferreira, sits in immigration detention thousands of miles from the family’s home. Earlier in November 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ferreira in Revere, Massachusetts, on suspicion of battery, and she is now being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, almost 1,700 miles away.
Ferreira is the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, Michael Leavitt Jr., and the former partner of Leavitt’s brother, Michael Leavitt, drawing national attention because of her direct link to a senior figure in President Trump’s White House.
Immigration status and federal description
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ferreira entered the United States in 1998 on a B2 tourist visa and did not leave when her visa expired in June 1999. DHS describes her as a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil,” a label that has become a flashpoint in public reaction to the case.
Federal officials say:
- Ferreira is in formal removal proceedings.
- She faces deportation to Brazil.
- The case highlights how long-past visa overstays can resurface decades later when someone comes into contact with law enforcement.
Family’s account and DACA claim
Family members say that description is incomplete. They emphasize that Ferreira:
- Migrated from Brazil as a child and has built her life in the United States.
- Has deep ties to New England.
- According to her sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, Ferreira has maintained legal status through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and “has always strived to do the right thing.”
Rodrigues launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal costs; it has raised more than $14,000 toward a $30,000 goal. For the family, those numbers represent not just money but hope that an immigration lawyer might keep Ferreira in the country.
Distance, isolation, and family impact
Rather than being held near Revere, Ferreira was transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, a remote facility far from her relatives and her son’s home in New Hampshire. Advocates say long-distance transfers often:
- Make it harder for families to stay involved in a loved one’s case
- Complicate access to legal help
- Increase travel and communication costs
Relatives report trying to manage travel, costs, and communication while also shielding a young child from the full weight of the situation.
Statements from the family and the White House
Michael Leavitt issued a public statement aimed at refocusing attention away from politics and onto his son. He said his:
“only concern is the safety, well-being, and privacy” of the boy
He stressed that his son has lived full-time in New Hampshire with him since birth and has not lived with his mother. That detail contrasts with many immigration cases where the parent facing deportation is the primary caregiver. Here, the father emphasizes stability and asks the public to remember that “a real child” sits at the center of the story.
Inside the White House, officials have tried to keep the matter at arm’s length:
- Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on the arrest or the ongoing removal case involving Bruna Caroline Ferreira.
- A Trump administration official said Leavitt had no involvement in the matter, seeking to draw a clear line between her role as press secretary and the situation facing her relative.
Despite attempts to distance the press secretary, the case has quickly become part of the larger debate about President Trump’s immigration policies and how enforcement should apply when it touches families of senior officials.
Public reaction and the language of enforcement
Ferreira’s sister frames the situation as an example of what happens when strict enforcement collides with people who have lived almost their entire lives in the United States. Supporters argue that someone:
- Brought to the country as a child
- Who then applied for protections like DACA
- Should not be sent back to Brazil after nearly three decades in the U.S.
Government officials counter that Ferreira overstayed a temporary visa and now faces removal after an arrest. For relatives, the focus is on roots, family bonds, and the belief that she tried to follow available rules.
The DHS description — “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” — has intensified public debate. Reactions tend to split:
- Some view the phrase as supporting a tough stance on immigration enforcement.
- Others see it as harsh and disconnected from the human story of someone raised in the U.S.
The battery allegation that led to her detention remains central to the government’s case, but relatives worry a single incident could erase decades of life in the United States.
Financial strain and the GoFundMe response
The GoFundMe campaign launched by Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues highlights how quickly removal proceedings can become financially overwhelming. Immigration cases often involve:
- Multiple court hearings and filings
- Appeals and legal motions
- Travel expenses for family and witnesses
- Costs of retaining experienced immigration counsel
Rodrigues’ public appeal describes hiring lawyers, paying for travel, and preparing for a long legal struggle while also supporting her nephew emotionally. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, families in similar situations often rely on community fundraising when detention in distant centers cuts off normal support networks.
Broader questions about DACA and long-term residents
Beyond the personal drama, the case raises sensitive questions about DACA and long-term residents without permanent status. While federal officials have not publicly commented on any DACA filings for Bruna Caroline Ferreira, her sister’s statement that she has lived under that program fuels wider arguments about how to treat people who came as children and have lived in the U.S. for decades.
More information on immigration enforcement and DHS programs is available on the official Department of Homeland Security website, which outlines how agencies such as ICE carry out detention and removal operations across the country.
Local implications and the ongoing stakes
For residents of Revere, Massachusetts, the story feels both distant and close:
- Distant because Ferreira is detained in Louisiana
- Close because the case began with an arrest in their city and involves a family long tied to New England
Her son remains in New Hampshire with his father, protected as much as possible from the turmoil surrounding his mother’s immigration fight. As removal proceedings continue, the outcome will likely:
- Affect one family’s future
- Feed into the national debate over immigration enforcement
- Influence how cases involving long-term residents brought as children are handled going forward
Key takeaway: A single arrest and a decades-old visa overstay have converged to create high-stakes legal, logistical, and emotional challenges — not only for Bruna Caroline Ferreira and her family, but also for broader conversations about who belongs in the United States and who must leave.
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, detained after a Nov. 2025 arrest in Revere, faces removal proceedings and possible deportation to Brazil. DHS says she entered on a B2 tourist visa in 1998 and overstayed; family members contend she came as a child and may have DACA protections. Transferred nearly 1,700 miles to a South Louisiana ICE facility, Ferreira’s case strains family finances and raises questions about long-distance transfers, access to counsel, and how enforcement treats long-term residents tied to public figures.
