White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s family member detained by US immigration agents

Her attorney, however, said she was a former DACA recipient whose inability to renew her status stemmed from President Donald Trump’s attempts to end the programme during his first term. Ferreira is currently “in the middle of a lawful immigration process” toward US citizenship, Pomerleau said.

Leavitt’s nephew, whom Ferreira shares with Leavitt’s brother Michael, lives full-time in New Hampshire with his father, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the situation. Ferreira and the White House press secretary have not spoken in many years, the report added.

Pomerleau said Ferreira was detained while driving to pick up her son from New Hampshire. Ferreira and Michael Leavitt were previously engaged and have joint custody of their 11-year-old boy. Michael told CNN affiliate WMUR that his son has not spoken to his mother since her detention and described the situation as “difficult,” saying his priority is the child’s well-being.

A GoFundMe page created by Ferreira’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, and verified by the family’s lawyer, has raised more than $15,000 for legal fees. In the campaign note, Rodrigues wrote that Ferreira has “done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life” in the US and had maintained lawful presence through DACA until renewal complications emerged.

While the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s first-term attempt to end DACA, the programme does not provide formal legal status. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin recently reiterated that DACA recipients “are not automatically protected from deportations,” noting that the programme offers temporary relief, not immunity from enforcement.