Washington: U.S. immigration officials detained Bruna Caroline Ferreira, a Brazilian national related to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, as part of an ongoing enforcement effort targeting visa overstays and immigration violations.

Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, was taken into custody earlier this month in Revere for overstaying her B2 tourist visa, which expired in 1999. Authorities say she was previously arrested on a battery charge, leading the Department of Homeland Security to categorise her as a “criminal illegal alien.” She is currently held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre and is facing deportation proceedings.

While Ferreira has a family connection to the White House press secretary, officials stressed that the case is based strictly on immigration violations and not political considerations. The nephew reportedly lives with his father and has had limited contact with Ferreira for several years.

Ferreira previously held Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and is said to be pursuing legal permanent residency. However, her current detention underscores the administration’s firm stance on immigration enforcement amid heightened efforts to remove those present unlawfully, even if they have longstanding ties to the United States.

The Trump administration, now in its second term following reelection in 2024, has maintained strict immigration policies, emphasising the removal of individuals who overstay visas or have criminal records.