Brazilian Mother Linked to White House Press Secretary Held by ICE in Louisiana
Court records describe shared custody that conflicts with statements from the White House press office.
Overview
- Bruna Ferreira says she has not spoken to her son since ICE agents detained her on November 12 after she dropped him at school in New Hampshire.
- She reports being transferred through facilities in Vermont, Philadelphia, and Texas before arriving at a Louisiana detention center.
- Newly highlighted filings show Michael Leavitt listed a shared address in 2015 and a judge ordered shared custody, with a 2021 plan granting Ferreira weekend and vacation time.
- The White House and Michael Leavitt have portrayed her as absent, a characterization Ferreira rejects as false and that court records appear to contradict.
- Ferreira’s lawyers say relatives urged her to self‑deport, warning it would trigger a 10‑year reentry bar under federal law, while DHS cites a long‑expired visa and a disputed juvenile incident.