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Video of the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's nephew being detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents was obtained and shared by TMZ on Thursday (December 4).
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, who shares an 11-year-old son with Michael Leavitt, the press secretary's older brother, was detained in Revere, Massachusetts, last month. The surveillance footage shows Ferreira, a Brazilian native, attempting to leave her Revere, Massachusetts, condo in a sedan at around 12:30 p.m. on November 12 before being blocked by five unmarked vehicles.
Agents got out of their vehicles and handcuffed Ferreira, who was then placed in the back of an SUV. Ferreira was detained in Revere after allegedly overstaying a tourist visa that expired in June 1999, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to NBC News on November 26.
“She entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the US by June 6, 1999,” the source told NBC News. “She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.”
Michael Leavitt, who is married to another woman, spoke to WMUR off-camera and said his biggest concern was his son's safety and well-being following the arrest of the child's mother. Michael claimed that his son has lived with him in New Hampshire since his birth and Ferreira has maintained a relationship with their child, though she and her son hadn't spoken since her arrest a few weeks ago.
Todd Pomerleau, an attorney representing Ferreira, said that his client is a good mother and was in the process of getting her green card at the time of her arrest.
"Bruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I don't know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. There's no charges out there. She's not a criminal, illegal alien, we're hearing that said about anyone who's not a U.S. citizen," Pomerleau said via WMUR.
"I'm just trying to fight to get her out of jail. She should not be sitting in a jail hours away from her family and from her child's life. She's a great mom, and from what I heard, I think he's been a pretty good dad," he added.