Bruna Ferreira, the mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, is pushing back against the narrative from the Trump administration that she’s a criminal and an absent mother. Ferreira, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month and now faces possible deportation to Brazil, has recently gained national attention due to her connection to Leavitt.
The White House has tried to distance Leavitt from Ferreira, stating that the two hadn’t spoken in years and that Ferreira never lived with her son. The White House also referenced a statement from the Department of Homeland Security calling Ferreira a “criminal.” However, in a video interview with The Washington Post, Ferreira strongly disputed that portrayal. She explained that Leavitt had once been like a younger sister to her and revealed that she had chosen Leavitt to be her son’s godmother.
“I asked Karoline to be godmother over my only sister,” Ferreira said in the interview. “I made a mistake there, in trusting. … Why they’re creating this narrative is beyond my wildest imagination.”
Ferreira further clarified that she had always tried to maintain a friendly relationship with Leavitt’s family, whom she sees often at school or sports events. She even went to great lengths to ensure her son could attend Leavitt’s wedding earlier this year.
Ferreira rejected the White House’s claims that she never lived with her son, calling them “disgusting” and false. She described her life before her arrest, saying she spent her days managing businesses, attending yoga classes, and spending quality time with her son. Ferreira, who came to the U.S. in 1998 as a 6-year-old, had been protected under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
After being detained, Ferreira was released from the detention center on Monday, following an immigration judge’s decision to set her bond at $1,500, the lowest possible bond according to her lawyers.