• Bruna Caroline Ferreira, related to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, was detained by ICE.
• ICE claims Ferreira overstayed her tourist visa, which expired in 1999.
• Leavitt's nephew has lived with his father in New Hampshire and has not seen his mother for years.
• Ferreira's family asserts she was brought to the U.S. as a child and previously held DACA status.
• Legal complexities arise due to Ferreira's detention amidst intensified immigration enforcement.

Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew, has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Ferreira was apprehended in Revere, Massachusetts and is currently being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, as authorities initiate removal proceedings against her for allegedly overstaying a tourist visa that expired in June 1999, according to India Times and The Hill.

Family sources indicate that Leavitt's nephew, an 11-year-old boy, has been living with his father in New Hampshire since birth and has not had contact with his mother for years. Ferreira's situation has drawn media attention, especially due to her familial connection to a prominent political figure, fueling discussions about the policy implications of such detentions, as noted by ABC News and Middle East Eye.

A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security described Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien” with a prior arrest record for battery, although her attorney disputes the existence of a criminal history in adult court. Ferreira has been depicted by her family as someone who was brought to the U.S. as a child and who received protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program but lost that status, according to India Times and Middle East Eye.

As Ferreira navigates the legal complexities of her case, her family has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist with legal fees. This campaign claims that Ferreira has worked diligently to establish a stable life in the U.S., raising concerns about the implications of her detention given her family circumstances, as reported by ABC News and The Hill.