Chicago – December 08, 2025
A U.S. immigration judge has approved the release of Bruna Ferreira, a 33-year-old Brazilian woman tied to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, from ICE detention in Louisiana. The ruling came Monday, setting a modest $1,500 bond as she battles deportation charges.
Ferreira, a long-time Massachusetts resident, shares an 11-year-old son with Leavitt’s brother, Michael, after their past engagement. ICE agents stopped her on November 12 in Revere while driving to pick up the boy in New Hampshire, then moved her south for processing.
Her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, argued successfully that Ferreira poses no danger or flight risk, a stance the government accepted without appeal. Though DHS called her a “criminal illegal alien” with a prior battery arrest and visa overstay since 1999, the judge sided with release.
Ferreira, who came to America young and once held DACA status, now pursues a green card. The case spotlights Trump-era enforcement hitting close to top officials amid family pleas for her return.
