A woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was released from federal immigration custody after an immigration judge in Louisiana set her bond at $1,500.
Bruna Ferreira, the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, was freed late Monday, her attorney told Scripps News.
Ferreira, who came to the United States from Brazil at age 6, had been pursuing a green card when she was arrested last month while taking her son, whom she shares with Leavitt’s brother, to school.
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The federal government had described Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien,” alleging she had been arrested on an assault and battery charge. But in court on Monday, her attorney told the judge that no such charge exists on her record. He said Ferreira was involved in an altercation as a 16-year-old in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot, but was never arrested or charged. Government attorneys did not dispute his account, the attorney said.
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It remains unclear why the Department of Homeland Security did not contest Ferreira's bond or the attorney’s statements in court. Scripps News has reached out to DHS and the White House for comment.
In a statement, DHS said Ferreira entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa and was supposed to depart by Jun 6, 1999.
The statement also referred to Ferreira as a "criminal illegal alien" and asserted that she has a previous arrest for battery. However, the agency did not provide specifics.
"The Department of Homeland Security will continue to work to remove all aliens illegally present in the country as quickly as possible," DHS said. "As the Department has always maintained, all illegal aliens can avoid legal troubles by choosing to self deport in a dignified way with a $1,000 stipend, a free flight home, and the chance to re-enter the United States legally in the future.”
Ferreira must continue checking in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as her case proceeds.
Her attorney said she plans to continue seeking permanent residency and accused both DHS and the White House of “lying about this case,” including about the extent of her recent contact with Leavitt, claiming they spoke at a baseball game in recent years.
