Detention of press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s family member sparks renewed debate over ICE policies and DACA protections.
The Trump administration’s harsh policies against illegal immigration have reached one of its closest aides, as the mother of the White House press secretary’s nephew was detained by ICE agents.
Bruna Ferreira, the former wife of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s brother, was detained in Revere, Massachusetts, and taken to an ICE facility in Louisiana. She could be deported to her native Brazil.
Ferreira married Michael, Leavitt’s brother, just over a decade ago, and together they had a son who has lived with his father practically since birth.
According to authorities, Bruna Ferreira arrived in the United States illegally with her family in 1998, but she was granted DACA status, a program launched during the Obama administration to help millions of undocumented children and young adults obtain legal status.
Authorities say Ferreira has a prior record for a brawl, which helped locate and transfer her to immigration custody. However, her defense attorney denies the charges.
The young woman’s sister launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to cover the costs of the lengthy legal process she faces.
