The mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew has hit back from ICE custody after officials painted her as an absentee mom with no ties to the family.
Bruna Ferreira, who shares a son with Karoline’s brother, Michael Leavitt, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month.
Her detention sparked significant media attention, with some questioning whether she had been targeted due to her relationship with Michael.
Highlights
- Bruna Ferreira, mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, denies being absent despite ICE painting her that way.
- Ferreira shares custody of her son with Michael Leavitt, and court records show she was actively involved in his life.
- Ferreira entered the U.S. as a child under DACA but was detained by ICE amid harsher immigration enforcement.
Bruna Ferreira, the mother of Karoline Leavitt's nephew, has spoken from ICE detention
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
In a video interview with The Washington Post last week, Ferreira, 33, said she has maintained a close relationship with her son and was around the Leavitts, often seeing Michael and Karoline’s parents at her son’s sporting events.
She told the outlet that she approved his attendance at the White House Easter Egg Hunt this spring, and helped ensure he could attend the press secretary’s wedding in January.
While the White House has moved to distance Karoline, saying she had not spoken to Ferreira for years, Ferreira painted a different picture.
“I asked Karoline to be godmother over my only sister,” Ferreira said. “I made a mistake there, in trusting … Why they’re creating this narrative is beyond my wildest imagination.”
Image credits: GoFundMe
Referencing Karoline, she said she couldn’t recall when they last spoke but denied claims of a non-existent relationship, saying, “Obviously we’re not BFFs and we’re not FaceTiming.”
Ferreira entered the U.S. at the age of 6 and later qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012. That program gave her a work permit and temporary protection from deportation.
Her lawyers told The Post that her case was reopened this year as part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement efforts.
Ferreira said most of her family has legal status, but she has been unable to complete her own process.
She met Michael Leavitt at a nightclub, with the pair later becoming engaged and having a child while living together in New Hampshire.
Image credits: Pinterest
Their relationship ended in 2015, one year after Michael won $1 million in a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest, but they continued to share custody of their son.
Court records, along with Ferreira’s account, show that she visited her son regularly and remained involved in his life.
Michael, 35, told The Post in text messages that Ferreira has never lived with their son, echoing the White House’s claims—something Ferreira described as “disgusting” and false.
Court records from 2015 indicate that they shared a home, and Ferreira herself mentioned the shared condo in a 2014 newspaper article.
He denied seeking to have her deported.
Michael Leavitt said he did not inform ICE of Ferreira’s whereabouts
Image credits: Mike Leavitt/Facebook
“I had no involvement in her being picked up by ICE,” Michael said. “I have no control over that and had no involvement in that whatsoever.”
The couple’s custody history has been contentious; court records obtained by The Post show family disputes include allegations of abuse and neglect from both sides.
In 2015, Michael sought primary custody, claiming Ferreira had threatened to take their son to Brazil and that she had pushed him.
Ferreira denied those claims and alleged in court filings that Michael had been abusive and threatened to contact immigration authorities to have her deported.
Image credits: GoFundMe
She described an incident that allegedly took place at her baby shower, saying Michael had drunkenly pushed her, punched walls, and broken doors.
Judges ultimately ordered shared custody, and the couple agreed in 2021 that their son would live with Michael during the week while Ferreira had visitation on most weekends.
Ferreira was also given permission to take him to Brazil in the summer so his dual citizenship could be processed.
Ferreira told The Post that she was detained by ICE on November 12, after dropping her son off at school in the morning and leaving to pick him up later that day.
A video obtained by TMZ shows her being led away in handcuffs after unmarked SUVs surrounded the car and blocked the vehicle.
Image credits: GoFundMe
She was eventually transported to a detention center in Louisiana and has not been able to communicate with her son since the arrest.
“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,” she said. “It’s just very unfortunate that this is the way that things have transpired.”
Ferreira told The Post that only a few people knew of her schedule, including Michael and his father, Bob Leavitt, both of whom had encouraged Ferreira to self-deport.
Michael said in a text to The Post, “I want my son to have a relationship with his mother as I always have shown that.”
The White House has tried to distance Leavitt from Ferreira
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, told the outlet that suggestions she should voluntarily leave the country are a “trap,” as it could prevent her from returning to the U.S. for a decade.
He also refuted claims made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a statement that Ferreira had a “previous arrest for battery,” saying she has no criminal record.
DHS has not provided any evidence to back up its claim.
“He needs me right now, tucking him into bed and taking him shopping for Christmas,” Ferreira told The Post. “He doesn’t need me in 20 years. He needs me now.”