The mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew, currently detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is publicly challenging the narrative being promoted by the Trump administration and members of Leavitt's family. ICE agents detained Bruna Ferreira last month in Louisiana.
In a recent interview, Ferreira criticised Leavitt for her silence and pushed back against claims from Leavitt's family that she is an absentee parent with a criminal history. Her attorney has refuted these claims, alleging his client is being targeted due to her connection to the high-profile official.
A Mother's Account from Detention
'I made a mistake there, in trusting,' said Ferreira, who came to the US when she was six years old. She described Leavitt as having been 'once like a younger sister to her.' Ferreira added that she had even asked Leavitt to be godmother to her son.
'The thought of my son waiting for me at the school car pickup line and having no one to be there to pick him up is the thing that I keep replaying in my head,' said Ferreira. 'It's just very unfortunate that this is the way that things have transpired.'
DHS’s New Orleans Operation Catahoula Crunch Results in Arrests of Criminal Illegal Aliens Terrorizing Americanshttps://t.co/7B3Vxfr627
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) December 4, 2025
White House and Family Push Counter-Narrative
Since Ferreira's detention, the White House has sought to distance Leavitt from her. 'Why they're creating this narrative is beyond my wildest imagination,' Ferreira said.
People familiar with the matter have claimed that Leavitt has not spoken to Ferreira in 'years.' However, Ferreira said that just weeks before her arrest, Leavitt's parents and brother were with her at her son's football game. The administration has also promoted a DHS statement accusing Ferreira of having a criminal history.
Ferreira's ex-fiancé, Michael Leavitt, who is Karoline Leavitt's brother, claimed she has never lived with her son. Following her detention, Leavitt's father, Bob Leavitt, along with Michael, urged Ferreira to 'self-deport' and attempt to return legally.
Attorney Refutes Claims, Alleges Targeting
Ferreira's attorney, Todd Pomerleau, has refuted these claims. He stated that Ferreira has no court records of any prior arrests and that New Hampshire records from 2015 list her and her son at the same address, contradicting Michael Leavitt's assertion.
Pomerleau said that Ferreira was on track to obtain a green card and was protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy—the Obama-era program protecting undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. He also argued that the suggestion she 'self-deport' would be a 'trap.' Voluntarily leaving would likely void her DACA status and any pending applications, making the 10-year federal bar on re-entry nearly impossible to overcome.
Pomerleau argued his client is being targeted, noting that Michael Leavitt had previously threatened her with deportation after their 2015 breakup. In a statement, Michael denied any involvement in her detention. 'I had no involvement in her being picked up by ICE. I have no control over that and had no involvement in that whatsoever.' The attorney's allegation raises serious questions about whether a personal family dispute has led to the involvement of a federal law enforcement agency.
