The woman with ties to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was recently detained by ICE, has returned home to Massachusetts after being released from ICE custody on a $1,500 bond.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, a longtime Massachusetts resident, was previously engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was driving to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire when she was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere on November 12.
“She is safe, she is back in the area now. She wants her privacy. She wants to spend time with her family,” said Todd Pomerleau, Ferreira’s attorney.
Ferreira emigrated from Brazil as a child and has been waiting for a green card since she was 18, according to her Pomerleau.
After her arrest, Ferreira was initially taken to Vermont and later transferred to a facility in Louisiana, about 80 miles outside of Baton Rouge.
“It was a tumultuous journey and the process itself was quite disturbing,” Pomerleau continued. “She was arrested with no warrant, no warning. This never should’ve happened to her.”
The Department of Homeland Security previously called Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and said she had been arrested for battery. Boston 25 News has not found any records documenting the arrest or incident.
Pomerleau told Boston 25 News that Ferreira was put on multiple planes during her transfer and initially thought she might land in Boston, but she was only flown to New York or New Jersey.
According to Pomerleau, Ferreira didn’t have a good shower or decent food for about a month.
Ferreira posted an Instagram story thanking those who supported her during her detention, and shared with her attorney how she and other women in custody would pray together.
“All she ever talked about primarily is not only her son but all the other women who she was in there with. How they were praying together and struggling and how many of them didn’t have access to the outside world. Their families didn’t even know where they were,” Pomerleau detailed.
Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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