Story perspectives

Press Secretary's Nephew's Mother Detained by ICE After 26 Years

11/29/2025

Summary

Story summary

Bruna Ferreira, the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew, is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for allegedly overstaying her visa by 26 years.
Ferreira was detained during a traffic stop in Massachusetts while en route to pick up her son.
Critics note the irony of Leavitt's silence on Ferreira's case, given her defense of strict immigration policies.
Ferreira's family asserts she has lived in the U.S. since childhood under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and is contesting deportation.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $20,000 to assist with her legal expenses.

History

Historical Context

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was announced by President Obama on June 15, 2012, allowing approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to defer deportation for two years. This policy emerged after the failure of the DREAM Act, which sought a pathway to citizenship for these individuals, highlighting ongoing immigration reform challenges and the precarious status of DACA recipients like Bruna Ferreira.

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Story summary

Bruna Ferreira, the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew, is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for allegedly overstaying her visa by 26 years.
Ferreira was detained during a traffic stop in Massachusetts while en route to pick up her son.
Critics note the irony of Leavitt's silence on Ferreira's case, given her defense of strict immigration policies.
Ferreira's family asserts she has lived in the U.S. since childhood under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and is contesting deportation.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $20,000 to assist with her legal expenses.

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