The mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew has reportedly been released by ICE.
Bruna Ferreira, a Brazilian national, was detained by ICE on November 12 and faced potential deportation. She was apprehended while on her way to pick up her son from school and subsequently transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
Ferreira is the mother of a son with Michael Leavitt, Karoline’s brother, who resides in New Hampshire. Although they were once engaged, the couple has been separated for some time.
ICE labeled Ferreira as an ‘criminal illegal alien.’ A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informed the Daily Beast: “She has a previous arrest for battery. She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by June 6, 1999.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
However, her sister claimed that Ferreira, who is 33, considers herself more American than Brazilian, having lived in the U.S. since she was six.
It is alleged that Karoline did not contact Ferreira following the incident, but her father, Bob Leavitt, suggested that the mother of his grandson should ‘self deport’ to Brazil.
After nearly a month in detention, Ferreira has now been released on bond.
According to The Washington Post, Immigration Judge Cynthia Goodman decided to release Ferreira, who resides in Massachusetts, on the lowest-dollar bond possible, setting it at $1,500.
Her lawyers contended that the portrayal of Ferreira as an illegal alien with a criminal record is ‘unfair and untrue’. Public records indicate that she has no criminal convictions.
During the hearing, a lawyer representing the Department of Homeland Security did not oppose the 33-year-old’s release and agreed that she poses no threat to society or risk of fleeing.
Ferreira spoke to The Post before her release, denying claims that she neglects her son or that he lives only with his father. She also refuted the notion that she hasn’t had contact with the Leavitt family for years, asserting that she frequently sees them while visiting her son or supporting him at school and sports events.
Ferreira also described the allegations that her 11-year-old son has never lived with her as ‘disgusting’. She shares custody of him with her ex, Michael, from whom she separated a decade ago.