ICE Detainee Says Karoline Leavitt “Betrayed” Her as Records Dispute White House Claims

Boston-born and long-time Massachusetts resident Bruna Ferreira — previously under DACA — was released Wednesday on a $1,500 bond after a judge ruled she could wait for her deportation case outside detention.

Ferreira was arrested by ICE on Nov. 12 while driving to pick up her 11-year-old son from school. The arrest was part of a broader enforcement wave targeting undocumented immigrants. U.S. officials described Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien,” citing a prior battery charge and visa overstay from when she entered the country as a child.

But Ferreira, who shares custody of the child with her former fiancé, Michael Leavitt (brother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt) — strongly rejects that portrayal. According to court documents, family photos, and her own statements, she named Karoline the child’s godmother and had consistent contact with her son and with Leavitt’s family, including attending events and parenting the boy jointly.

In a video interview from the detention center, Ferreira said bluntly, “I made a mistake … in trusting.” She called the administration’s narrative “insulting” and “disgusting.”

Her legal team notes that court records show no criminal convictions; the alleged 2008 juvenile-court incident was dismissed. Federal law typically treats juvenile court records as confidential, and she has not faced any charges since.

The contrast between her reality and the White House’s public narrative raises questions about how political families with immigration ties are being portrayed in the current enforcement push. What happens next: Ferreira remains in deportation proceedings as she fights to stay in the United States and avoid being separated from her son.

Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.