A Massachusetts woman with longtime ties to the family of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt remains in federal immigration custody more than two weeks after she was unexpectedly detained while driving to pick up her son from school, raising questions about the handling of her case and renewed debate over immigration policy under the Trump administration.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, was on her way to her 11-year-old son’s school in New Hampshire on November 12 when she was pulled over in Revere, Massachusetts. According to her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, the stop quickly escalated into a multi-state transfer he described as a “constitutional nightmare.”
“She wasn’t told why she was detained,” Pomerleau said Wednesday. “She was bounced from Massachusetts, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, to Louisiana on this unconstitutional merry-go-round.
Joint Custody, Sudden Detention
Ferreira shares custody of her son with her former fiancé Michael Leavitt, the brother of Karoline Leavitt. The couple broke off their engagement years ago, but they have sustained what her attorney describes as a stable co-parenting relationship — one that included the boy living with both parents at different times.
Pomerleau said the arrest left Ferreira’s son confused and distressed.
“She is a business owner who pays taxes. She’s not dangerous and she’s not a flight risk, and she’s certainly not a criminal,” he said. “Her child was left wondering where his mother was after school.”
Calls to Michael Leavitt seeking comment were not returned. The White House Press Secretary also would not comment on the matter.
Karoline Leavitt was a prominent New Hampshire politician who had run for Congress before becoming a spokesperson for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and later joining the White House communications team.
Longstanding U.S. Ties and DACA Background
Ferreira’s immigration journey began early in her life. Her family moved to the United States from Brazil when she was 2 or 3 years old; she later applied for DACA, the Obama-era program that provides temporary protection from deportation for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
According to her attorney, Ferreira had been actively pursuing a green card, which often takes several years.
But the Department of Homeland Security tells a different story. According to DHS officials, Ferreira initially came into the U.S. with a tourist visa and was supposed to leave in 1999. They add that she also has a prior arrest for battery – an accusation her attorney categorically denies.
Searches of Massachusetts court databases in communities where Ferreira has lived revealed no such criminal charge. Records in New Hampshire show only two minor traffic violations in 2020, both resolved with conditions and no formal conviction.
“They’re claiming she has some kind of criminal record, but no such thing has come to light anywhere,” Pomerleau said. “If that were the case, she would have been deported years ago. Instead, she’s caught up in this immigration mess.”
ICE Transfers and Detention in Louisiana
In an email, DHS confirmed that Ferreira was currently in custody at a Louisiana immigration facility. Louisiana is home to a large network of ICE detention facilities, which sometimes send detainees transported from the Northeast.
The transfers of detainees across multiple states have long been criticized by immigrant-rights advocates as a practice that serves to disrupt families, complicate legal representation, and add unnecessary trauma.
Trump Administration’s Harder Line on DACA
Ferreira’s case comes as the Trump administration has sought to revamp immigration policy, including narrower interpretations of the protections afforded by DACA.
A recent statement from Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin underlined that fresh approach:
“Individuals who claim to be DACA recipients are not automatically protected from deportation. DACA does not confer any form of legal status.”
Ongoing Legal Battle
Ferreira’s lawyer has asked for her immediate release, claiming federal officials have failed to provide sufficient reason for her detention and that the detention is causing unnecessary harm to her child and their family.
Her case stands a strong chance of drawing increased national attention, given the political connections and broader debates on immigration enforcement, DACA protections, and family separation policies.
Pomerleau said the next step will be pushing for transparency: “We’re demanding answers from DHS, and we’re demanding due process. This should not be happening in the United States of America.” For now, Ferreira stays in ICE custody in Louisiana while the family anxiously awaits a resolution.
