Karoline Leavitt's Allegedly "Criminal Illegal Alien" Relative Was Detained by ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained one of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's relatives, per NBC News. The outlet reported that Bruna Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt's nephew, was detained by ICE at some point in November 2025. She was born in Brazil and moved to the U.S. as a child. But who is Leavitt's relative who was detained, and does the White House press secretary have a relationship with her at all?

Leavitt has not publicly commented on the detainment and potential deportation of her family member. The incident marks a clear link between Leavitt herself and Donald Trump's plans to ramp up the detainment of undocumented citizens in the U.S. Because Leavitt is not related to Ferreira by blood, it's unclear if they have a relationship at all, or if they did at some point, but the woman is the mother of Leavitt's brother's son.

According to ABC News, Leavitt's brother, Michael Leavitt, confirmed that Ferreira, the mother of his son, was detained weeks before the news broke at the end of November. He explained that he and Ferreira do not have a relationship and that their son has always lived with him full-time, though Ferreira does reportedly have a relationship of some kind with her son.

NBC News reported that a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson revealed that Ferreira is a "criminal illegal alien from Brazil." She came to the U.S. on a tourist visa as a child. However, per Homeland Security, that visa expired in 1999. Her detainment also appears to stem from a previous arrest on suspicion of battery.

Per CBS News, ICE has three categories for detainees: individuals who are immigration violators, people with criminal charges on their record, and undocumented citizens with criminal convictions. It's unclear which category Ferreira was detained under, as reports indicate she is accused of overstaying a visa and of having a previous criminal arrest.

Although Karoline Leavitt did not comment on Ferreira's detainment at the time it happened, Ferreira's close family members started a GoFundMe in an effort to fight her possible deportation. Her family wrote on the fundraiser that Ferreira moved to the U.S. in 1998 with her parents on a visa. Since then, she worked to remain a documented citizen through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an immigration policy for children of undocumented citizens that allows them renewable legal standing in the country.

Per the GoFundMe, "Bruna's absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Junior, who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she'll be home in time for the holidays."

The family also wrote that the purpose of the GoFundMe is to raise money for Ferreira's legal fees to allow her to return home. As of the end of November 2025, the fundraiser had reached more than $18,000 of its $30,000 goal.