Press Secretary Karloine Leavitt has grabbed the headlines not for yet another controversial press briefing but for unwanted public attention involving her nephew’s mother, Bruna Ferreira.
She was taken in during a nationwide ICE sweep and is now facing deportation to Brazil. Ferreira was once in a relationship with Karoline’s brother, Michael Leavitt, and is the mother of his 11-year-old son from the relationship.
Even though Ferreira’s family has lived in the U.S. for decades, they are trying to prove their citizenship to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisiana, as Donald Trump’s immigration policies have sparked a new wave of panic nationwide.
A source close to the Leavitt family told The Daily Beast that Karoline Leavitt has not had a relationship with Ferreira in years and that the child has lived full-time with his father in New Hampshire since birth and not his mother.
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A DHS(Department of Homeland Security) spokesperson described Ferreira as “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil,” saying she overstayed a tourist visa after arriving in the U.S. in 1998.
As per WCVB, attorney Todd Pomerleau, who represents Bruna Ferreira, said she has lived in the U.S. under DACA, the Obama-era program that protects certain immigrants brought to the country as children. She was in the final steps to attain her legal residency when she was abruptly arrested before Thanksgiving, an occasion meant to be celebrated with near and dear ones.
ICE authorities also claimed that Bruna Ferreira was charged with battery (an intentional harm or accident to another person without their consent). However, that claim has not been confirmed, as reporters were unable to find public court records confirming the charge.
Pomerleau strongly challenged DHS’s claims, insisting Ferreira has no criminal record and asserting to present proof before slamming alleged accusations at her. “I don’t know where that is coming from,” he said. “Show us the proof. There are no charges. She is not a criminal illegal alien.”
Michael Leavitt, known locally for winning $1 million in a 2014 DraftKings competition, issued a brief statement saying, “My only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son.”
Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, has started a GFM to raise money to fight the ICE charges and allow Bruna to remain in Boston. It has now raised over $14K of a $30K target.https://t.co/kAYqdpnDQ9 pic.twitter.com/6o76l71alE
— Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@NotHoodlum) November 26, 2025
As Leavitt’s family navigates how to get out of the problematic situation, Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover legal fees, raising more than $14,000 toward a $30,000 goal.
Meanwhile, under the Trump administration and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, all undocumented immigrants are currently subject to removal. However, what began as an operation to remove illegal immigrants and criminals has turned into an alleged abusive operation where thousands of people are being randomly picked up, detained, and deported.
As of 28 August 2025, CNN reported that ICE alone has deported nearly 200,000 people in seven months since Trump returned to office. With reports of these authorities abruptly picking up people, spraying pepper spray on a toddler, pointing guns randomly, and arresting spouses amidst their Green Card interviews, recent stories of abuse and bullying have triggered several protests questioning the real essence of free will that America was once known for.
If the government can arrest a U.S. resident living here legally without charges and deport them, that is a grave threat to the civil liberties of all of us.
Politics has no business here. This is a direct attack on free speech and our constitutional rights.…
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) March 10, 2025
Karoline Leavitt has not commented on the situation at the time of writing this story, but we do know that she’s a person who has always been very close to her family, including her brother. The mother of one might be the youngest press secretary on record, but at home, she’s the oldest amongst her two brothers, Michael (Mike) and Joe Leavitt.
Mike now works as vice president and general manager of Leavitt Auto & Truck, as per his LinkedIn, and Joe’s current profession isn’t publicly known.
