Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew, Who Was Detained by ICE and Held for Deportation, Is Set for Release on Judge’s Order

The mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew is expected to be released from immigration detention weeks after she was first taken into custody for deportation proceedings.

Bruna Caroline Ferreira was ordered released from an ICE facility on Monday, Dec. 8, her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, told ABC News. Ferreira was originally arrested on Nov. 12 in Revere, Mass., just outside Boston. According to the outlet, she is in the process of applying for a green card and had been protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

Pomerleau told ABC News that, during a hearing, he argued Ferreira is neither a “criminal illegal alien” nor a flight risk. He said she is expected to be released on Monday or Tuesday, Dec. 9, after an immigration judge set her bond at a minimum of $1,500.

Pomerleau and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the publication.

Ferreira, who was born in Brazil, is the mother of Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew, whom she shares with Leavitt’s brother, Michael Leavitt; the two were previously engaged. CNN reported that Ferreira was driving to pick up her son from Michael’s home in New Hampshire when she was detained.

After news of Ferreira’s detention became public, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed her arrest in a statement and said her tourist visa had expired in 1999.

The spokesperson also alleged that Ferreira “has a previous arrest for battery.” However, Boston NPR member station WBUR reported at the time that it was unable to locate any criminal charges filed against Ferreira in the state’s online database.

Pomerleau likewise disputed the arrest claim in comments to CNN affiliate WMUR, saying, “Show us the proof. There’s no charges out there. She’s not a criminal, illegal alien, we’re hearing that said about anyone who’s not a U.S. citizen.”

In a GoFundMe campaign created by Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, to help the family fight her deportation, Dos Santos Rodrigues wrote, “Bruna was brought to the United States by our parents in December of 1998, when she was just a child, entering on a visa. Since then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here.”

“She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing,” she added.

Dos Santos Rodrigues went on, “Anyone who knows Bruna knows the kind of person she is. She is hardworking, kind, and always the first to offer help when someone needs it. Whether it’s supporting family, friends, or even strangers, Bruna has a heart that puts others before herself.”

Karoline has not publicly commented on Ferreira’s arrest. In November, a source said the press secretary and Ferreira have not spoken “in many years.”

In a Nov. 26 interview with The Boston Globe, Dos Santos Rodrigues said Karoline had not attempted to contact their family after Ferreira was detained.

“If she were to help in any way, if she were willing to do anything to help us, she would have reached out by now,” Dos Santos Rodrigues said. “She has my phone number. We’ve been family for the last 13 years. I understand the policies and how it looks.”

She added, “But I also think when it comes to family, you put certain things aside. I don’t care who you work for.”