US immigration authorities are detaining the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, officials said on Wednesday, a sign of the wide reach of president Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
A US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement that immigration authorities had arrested the woman, Brazilian national Bruna Caroline Ferreira, but declined to provide the exact circumstances.
News reports said Ms Ferreira had been taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, near Boston.
DHS said Ms Ferreira had entered the US on a tourist visa and failed to depart, but a GoFundMe page organised by her sister said she had legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Most arrested by ICE had no convictions
Mr Trump, a Republican, has surged immigration officers to major cities across the US in an effort to reach historic levels of deportations, sweeping in many long-term residents and non-criminals.
More than two-thirds of the roughly 53,000 people arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detained as of November 15th had no criminal convictions, according to ICE statistics.
DHS said Ms Ferreira had a previous arrest for battery, but did not provide further details. Reuters could not independently confirm the alleged charge.
In response to a request for comment to the White House, a source familiar with the matter confirmed that Ms Ferreira was the mother to Ms Leavitt’s nephew. The source said the nephew had lived full-time with Ms Leavitt’s brother, Michael Leavitt, in New Hampshire since birth and had never resided with Ms Ferreira.
ICE detention centre
DHS said Ms Ferreira was currently being held in an ICE detention centre in Louisiana.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation,” the spokesperson said.
The GoFundMe page, organised by Ms Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, aims to raise $30,000 for her legal expenses, describing her as a selfless and hardworking mother.
“She has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here,” the page said. “She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing.”
Her detention has been “especially painful” for her 11-year-old son, “who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays,” the page said.