A Mother’s Story: Bruna Caroline Ferreira Speaks Out
Bruna Caroline Ferreira, the mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew and godson, has finally spoken out about her recent ICE arrest in a Dec. 12 interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett. The 33-year-old shared her experience of being detained by immigration authorities and also delivered a pointed message to the White House press secretary, who is the godmother of her son.
Ferreira was arrested on Nov. 12 while picking up her 11-year-old son from school in Revere, Massachusetts. She was held for deportation and spent weeks in an ICE facility before being released days before the interview. During the conversation, she appeared alongside her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, and shared her story with emotional honesty.
Addressing the White House Press Secretary
Ferreira took the opportunity to address Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary and her child’s godmother. She made it clear that she does not view Leavitt as a “good Catholic,” despite her education at a Catholic school.
“Just because you went to a Catholic school doesn’t make you a good Catholic,” Ferreira said, referencing Leavitt. She also encouraged Leavitt to consider how she would feel if she were in her position.
“You are a mother now,” Ferreira continued, referring to Leavitt’s role as a mother to her 1-year-old son, Niko. “How would you feel if you were in those, in my shoes? … How would you feel if somebody did this to you?”
Leavitt has not publicly commented on the arrest, and a source previously told news.electrictimes.biz.id that she hasn’t spoken with Ferreira, her brother Michael’s ex-fiancée and co-parent, “in many years.”
Background and Legal Challenges
Ferreira arrived in the United States from Brazil in 1998 when she was 6 years old. At the time of her arrest, she was in the process of obtaining a green card and had previously been protected under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed her arrest, claiming that her tourist visa had expired in 1999. They also alleged that Ferreira “has a previous arrest for battery,” but her attorney has repeatedly disputed this.
In the interview, Ferreira denied these claims, describing herself as “a law-abiding citizen.” She expressed heartbreak over the Trump administration’s repeated claim that she is a “criminal.”
“I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for my son. You know, I’m heartbroken for my mother, who has worked for a quarter of a century cleaning houses, earned an honest living, has paid her taxes. I’ve been a law-abiding citizen. I don’t even have a parking ticket. And I’m so proud of it.”
Emotional Reflections
Ferreira reflected on her time in detention, describing it as a “mind-boggling” experience of being “shuffled around the entire country” without knowing where she was going. She recalled the emotional toll of being separated from her son and the fear of not knowing what was happening to him.
“You have a lot of time to think in there, you know, and you really think the worst. You think the worst. But the luck that I had is that I was surrounded by so many women, so many women that had four children. One was pregnant. … I can’t imagine. I just tried to put myself in their shoes.”
She also spoke about the importance of empathy and the cruelty of the situation. “I can’t fathom a mother not knowing where her son is for a year and a half, and who’s with him, what he’s eating, if he’s going to bed on time, if he’s sick. I can’t imagine,” she added.
Final Thoughts and Questions
Ferreira became visibly emotional as she recounted her journey through several states. When she arrived in Texas, she asked an ICE agent if she was being taken across the border. The agent replied that she was being taken to south Louisiana, the final destination before deportation.
“So I just mustered up the courage to cry and sleep throughout that final voyage,” she said. “And when I got to south Louisiana, I was finally able to, by the grace of God, some girl let me use her minutes to make a phone call and then to tell my family where I was and the attorneys.”
In the final moments of her interview, Burnett asked Ferreira about the White House’s claim that she “never lived” with her son. Ferreira expressed confusion over the allegation, stating, “Why lie? Because I have so many friends and family that have called me and said, ‘Why would anyone lie about this when it’s 2025?’ We have a digital footprint of everything.”
“Every Wednesday, typically, my son and I go to Dave and Buster’s ’cause it’s half off. We’re extreme couponers at our home,” she added with a laugh. “And I don’t, I can’t … I can’t wrap my mind around it, but it doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’m just as lost as you are,” Ferreira concluded. “And I’m hoping that this interview gets me some answers.”