Karoline Leavitt‘s family is feeling the brunt of Donald Trump‘s immigration system crackdown. On November 26, 2025, a report emerged that Karoline’s nephew’s mother, Bruna Ferreira, had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Karoline’s nephew, Michael Leavitt Jr., is 11 years old, and his mother, Bruna, migrated from Brazil to the U.S. when she was a child in the 1990s.
At the time of publication, Karoline has not publicly commented on Bruna’s ICE detainment.
Learn everything we know so far about the situation involving Karoline’s nephew’s mother and her ICE detainment.
Who Is the Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew?
As previously noted, Michael Leavitt Jr.’s mother is Bruna Ferreira, a 33-year-old Boston area resident. She was in a relationship with Karoline’s brother, Michael Leavitt Sr., and they share their son, Michael Jr., together. The former couple were engaged and have joint custody of their son, according to CNN.
Is Karoline Leavitt in Touch With Bruna Ferreira?
No, Karoline and Bruna haven’t spoken in years. In a statement to The Guardian, a White House source familiar with the situation said that Bruna “is the mother of Karoline’s nephew, and they have not spoken in many years. The child has lived full time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother.”
What Happened to Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew’s Mother?
Bruna’s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, told CNN that she was detained by ICE on November 12, 2025. That day, she was leaving home to pick up her son from school in New Hampshire. Her car was “suddenly swarmed” by ICE agents, the Boston Globe reported. She is currently in a Louisiana ICE facility.
Bruna’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, told the Globe that the ICE agents “were not the most gentle with her” and allegedly demanded her name and driver’s license, but Bruna did not have an ID.
“I’m sure my sister was terrified, frantic,” Graziela said. “She’s been here since she was 6 years old. She’s more American than she is anything else. I’m sure she tried to just use whatever she could come up with in the moment. However, it didn’t really help very much.”
Graziela created a GoFundMe page to help with Bruna’s legal costs to combat the ICE detainment. At the time of publication, the page has raised nearly $20,000.
The GoFundMe page’s description reads, “My family is going through one of the most difficult moments of our lives, and we’re reaching out with a humble plea for help. My sister, Bruna, was recently detained by immigration and is now fighting to stay in the country she has called home for nearly her entire life. Bruna was brought to the United States by our parents in December of 1998, when she was just a child, entering on a visa. Since then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here. She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Bruna’s detainment in a statement, per The Guardian.
“ICE arrested Bruna Caroline Ferreria [sic], a criminal illegal alien from Brazil,” the statement read. “She has a previous arrest for battery. She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by 6 June 1999. She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings.”
The spokesperson added, “Under President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
In a separate statement, per The Guardian, Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, claimed that Bruna had a “previous arrest for battery,” which Bruna’s attorney denied.
“We dispute that she has any criminal record,” the lawyer told CNN. “She is not a ‘criminal illegal alien.’” During a separate interview with ABC station WCVB, Todd added, “Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I don’t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof.”
Who Is Michael Leavitt?
Michael Sr. is one of Karoline’s two brothers. Not much is known about him, except that he won a $1 million DraftKings fantasy sports contest in 2014, per The North Andover Eagle Tribune, which reported that Michael Sr. and Bruna were engaged at the time when their son was eight months old.
Michael confirmed his former fiancée’s ICE detainment to WMUR, the ABC New Hampshire news station.
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