The mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew has been detained by immigration officers and is now being held at a facility in Louisiana, nearly 1,700 miles from her Massachusetts home.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, who came to America from Brazil as a child, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Revere on November 12.
She shares an 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Jr, with the press secretary's brother, Michael.
White House sources say Ms Leavitt has not spoken with her nephew's mother in multiple years, and the press secretary herself has not commented on the case.
The detention has sparked a fierce dispute over her immigration status and alleged criminal history, with her lawyer insisting she's been following proper procedures, while federal officials claim she overstayed a tourist visa that expired in 1999.
Her family has launched a fundraising campaign as they fight to keep her in the country she's called home for nearly three decades.
The arrest happened as Ms Ferreira was leaving her home to collect her son from school in New Hampshire.
Her sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, told reporters ICE agents suddenly surrounded her car and demanded her name and driving licence, but Ferreira did not have identification with her.
The mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew has been detained by immigration officers
|REUTERS
"They were not the most gentle with her," Ms Dos Santos Rodrigues said. "I'm sure my sister was terrified, frantic. She's been here since she was six years old. She's more American than she is anything else."
Following her arrest in the Boston suburb, Ms Ferreira was transported to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre, where she remains in custody while removal proceedings are underway.
The detention occurred just before Thanksgiving, separating her from her young son during the holiday period.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesman labelled Ms Ferreira a "criminal illegal alien from Brazil" who has a "previous arrest for battery".
The spokesman stated she entered America on a B2 tourist visa that required her to leave by June 6, 1999, adding: "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation."
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Bruna Ferreira came to America from Brazil when she was a child
|GOFUNDME
Bruna Ferreira shares one child with Katherine Leavitt's brother, Michael Leavitt Jr
|GOFUNDME
But her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, strongly disputes these claims. "Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever," he said. "I don't know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There's no charges out there. She's not a criminal, illegal alien."
Mr Pomerleau insists their client was in the middle of a lawful process to obtain residency when she was "abruptly arrested and taken from her young child".
The detention has been particularly hard on Michael Jr, who lives full-time with his father and stepmother in New Hampshire but has always maintained a relationship with his mum.
Mr Leavitt told reporters his son hasn't been able to speak with his mother since she was detained "several weeks ago," saying his "only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son."
The family has set up a GoFundMe page that's already raised more than £16,000 to cover legal expenses.
"Bruna's absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she'll be home in time for the holidays," her sister wrote on the fundraising page.
The case highlights Mr Trump's expanded immigration enforcement that's now affecting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, despite previous protections for those who arrived as minors.
Ms Ferreira's family said she has maintained her status through the DACA programme and followed all requirements, but tbe DHS' Tricia McLaughlin recently told reporters participants "are not automatically protected from deportations".
The detention comes as public opinion shifts against ICE operations, with a recent poll showing the agency's approval rating has dropped to just 34 per cent.
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