President Donald Trump considers illegal immigration one of the biggest threats to the United States and has pushed for tougher action against anyone living in the country without legal status.
But now, those hard-line policies are having consequences for people close to the White House’s top leadership.
Came in 1998
The situation surrounding Bruna Ferreira — the mother of Karoline Leavitt’s 11-year-old nephew — has drawn national attention after she was detained by ICE as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
Ferreira, who came to the U.S. from Brazil as a child in 1998 on a tourist visa that later expired, is currently being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
According to officials, she faces removal proceedings and could be deported back to Brazil. DHS stated that she previously had an arrest for battery and that, under current policy, anyone unlawfully in the country is subject to deportation.
A White House official confirmed the family connection to WBUR but emphasized that Leavitt had “no involvement whatsoever in this matter.”
