Judge Orders Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew Released from ICE Custody

(Evan Vucci/AP photo/WCVB)

Bruna Ferreira, the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, has been ordered released on bond from federal immigration custody.

Immigration Judge Cynthia Goodman on Monday granted bond to Ferreira, who had been held more than 1,500 miles away from the Massachusetts community where she was arrested.

Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, said the $1,500 bond was “the lowest amount allowed under the law,” and noted that in court her lawyers argued “she’s not a danger, she’s not a flight risk.”

The government’s lawyer did not contest the claim and waived the appeal.

Ferreira’s case has drawn attention in part because of her history with Michael Leavitt, the brother of President Donald Trump’s press secretary. The pair share custody of their 11-year-old son, whom Ferreira was driving to pick up in New Hampshire when she was arrested, according to her attorney.

DHS confirmed that Ferreira was granted bond and will be required to “have periodic mandatory check-ins with ICE law enforcement to ensure she is abiding by the terms of her release.”

The department has previously insisted Ferreira is “a criminal illegal alien from Brazil” who overstayed a tourist visa in 1999. Her lawyers disputed that characterization that she was a “criminal” and Ferreira told the Wall Street Journal in a story published Sunday that “trusting” Leavitt was a “mistake.”

Pomerleau called her legal fight an “unconstitutional merry-go-round,” while attorney Jeffrey Rubin said Ferreira was a former DACA recipient who slipped into limbo when the program came under attack during Trump’s first term. Rubin said: “She looks forward to reuniting with her son and getting back to her life as a hard-working business owner.”

Ferreira is expected to return to Massachusetts once ICE processes her release, and her case will be transferred back to Boston immigration court.