• Immigration judge grants lowest possible bond after government concedes she poses no danger
• Bruna Ferreira was arrested while driving to pick up her son from school
• White House narrative contradicted by woman who says she remains active in child’s life

BASILE, LA (TDR) — An immigration judge Monday ordered the release of Bruna Ferreira, a Brazilian immigrant with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, setting her free on $1,500 bond after nearly a month in detention at a Louisiana facility more than 1,500 miles from her Massachusetts home.

Government Drops “Criminal” Characterization

Immigration Judge Cynthia Goodman granted Ferreira the lowest bond amount allowed under law after the Department of Homeland Security reversed its earlier characterization of the 33-year-old mother. Attorney Todd Pomerleau said the government lawyer representing DHS did not contest arguments that Ferreira poses no danger to society or flight risk.

“The government stipulated to our argument and never once argued that she was criminal illegal alien and waived appeal.”

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The government’s courtroom concession stands in stark contrast to its earlier statements. DHS previously described Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil” with a previous arrest for battery. Her attorneys contested those claims, noting she has no criminal convictions according to public records. The only incident her lawyers could locate was a police report from when Ferreira was 16 and allegedly had a fistfight with another girl over $8.

Arrest Drew National Attention

Ferreira’s case became a national story because of her connection to Leavitt, one of the most prominent voices supporting President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign. ICE agents arrested Ferreira on November 12 in Revere, Massachusetts, while she was driving to pick up her 11-year-old son from school in New Hampshire.

She shares custody of the child with Michael Leavitt, Karoline Leavitt’s older brother and Ferreira’s former fiancé. The couple was engaged and appeared together in a 2014 newspaper article celebrating Michael’s $1 million fantasy football win. They have since separated after a contentious custody battle that left the child living primarily with his father during the school week while Ferreira had custody three weekends a month.

Ferreira Disputes White House Claims

From detention in Louisiana, Ferreira rejected the White House narrative portraying her as an absentee mother disconnected from the Leavitt family. She told The Washington Post that she selected Karoline Leavitt to be her son’s godmother, signed off on his trip to the White House Easter egg hunt this spring, and arranged for him to attend Leavitt’s January wedding.

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The White House has claimed Ferreira had not spoken to Karoline Leavitt in years and that she never lived with her son. Trump administration officials have not provided documentation supporting those assertions or the claims about her criminal background.

Ferreira came to the United States from Brazil at age 6 and was previously enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy protecting immigrants brought to the country as children. Her attorney said she was in the process of obtaining a green card when she was arrested and transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.

Deportation Fight Continues

Ferreira’s release does not end her legal battle. She must still fight potential deportation once she returns to Massachusetts, where her case will be transferred to Boston immigration court. Attorney Jeffrey Rubin said his client simply wants to reunite with her son after weeks of separation.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Karoline Leavitt responded to requests for comment Monday. Michael Leavitt previously told reporters that his father advised Ferreira’s family that her best option was to self-deport to Brazil.

Will Ferreira’s case expose contradictions in the administration’s deportation rhetoric, or does her release signal the government quietly acknowledging overreach?

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