A woman who is connected by family to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bruna Caroline Ferreira was arrested earlier in November near Boston, Mass., according to reports.
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She is from Brazil originally, and is the mother of Karoline‘s nephew, her attorney told CNN.
Her lawyer confirmed to CNN that a GoFundMe page created by her sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, is real, and being used for legal fees and expenses.
“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,” the page reads.
“Bruna’s absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Junior, who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays,” it goes on to say.
“We are asking for financial help to cover the legal fees and expenses needed to give Bruna the best possible chance to return home to her family. Any amount, no matter how small, will make a difference. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this page also helps more than you know.”
Karoline‘s 11-year-old nephew was living full-time in New Hampshire with his dad, her brother Michael, since he was born, but she and her brother “have not spoken in many years,” per CNN‘s source.
Bruna and Michael were previously engaged, and have joint custody over their 11-year-old son. She was arrested while driving to pick up her son from New Hampshire, according to her lawyer Todd Pomerleau.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN that the mother was in the country illegally after overstaying a tourist visa. She would have needed to leave the country back in June 1999 before it expired.
They called her “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil” with “a previous arrest for battery.”
She is currently in proceedings for removal from the country, the spokesperson added.
Her lawyer countered, saying: “We dispute that she has any criminal record. She is not a ‘criminal illegal alien,’” adding that she was a former Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, which allows temporary protection from deportation for people who came to the United States as children, also referred to as “Dreamers.”
The lawyer added that she is currently in the middle of the “lawful immigration process” to obtain her U.S. citizenship, and is now being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana.
The White House Press Secretary also just defended Donald Trump for his comments calling a reporter “piggy.”