WH Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt's Niece's Mom Arrested, Facing Deportation to Brazil | Crime Alert 2PM 11.28.25

A Massachusetts woman with family ties to the White House press secretary is now in federal immigration custody in Louisiana as her attorney disputes claims that she is a criminal. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime al Art hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm
Drew Nelson. A Massachusetts woman with family ties to the
White House Press Secretary, is now in federal immigration custody
in Louisiana as her attorney disputes claims that she is
a criminal. Caroline Levitt's niece's mother, Bruna Caroline Ferrera, was
arrested by Immigration and Customs enforcement in Revere, Massachusetts. She's

(00:22):
being held at the South Louisiana Ice Processing Center and
is now in removal proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security
says she overstateed a B two tourist visa that required
her to leave the United States by June sixth of
nineteen ninety nine. DHS also claimed she had a prior
arrest for battery. Farrera's attorney, Todd Palmerlowe, strongly rejected that claim.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Bruna is no criminal record whatsoever. I don't know where
that is coming from. Show us the proof. There's no
charges out there. She's not a criminal, illegal alien. We're
hearing that setabo basically anyone who's not a US citizen.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Ferrera is the mother of an eleven year old boy
she shares with Michael Levitt. He is the brother of
Caroline Levitt. Michael It says his son lives full time
with him and his wife in New Hampshire. He said
Ferrera has maintained a relationship with her son, but the
boy has not spoken with her since she was detained.
He released a statement that read quote, my only concern
has always been the safety, well being, in privacy of

(01:16):
my son. A source familiar with the matter said Caroline
Levitt and Ferrera have not spoken in many years. Caroline
Levitt has declined to comment on the arrest. A White
House official said she had no involvement in the case.
Pameerlo says Ferrera came to the United States as a
child with her family from Brazil. He said she entered
under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA program and

(01:38):
later began the process of seeking permanent residency. She was
arrested while driving to pick up her son from school
just before Thanksgiving. He says she was not given a
clear explanation at the time of her detention. She was
moved through multiple states before being placed in Louisiana custody, and.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
I'm just trying to fight to get her out of jail.
She should not be sitting in a jail, go hours
away from her family and taken from her our child's life.
She's a great mom and I think he's what I heard.
He's been a pretty good guy.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Attorney Palmerlo says she is in the process of earning
a green card. Ferrea's sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodriguez, created
GoFundMe to help cover legal fees and expenses. The fundraiser
written in both English and Portuguese. As of the latest update,
it is raised thirty four, five hundred and thirty dollars,
surpassing its thirty thousand dollars goal, with the top donation

(02:25):
five thousand dollars from an anonymous donor. Graziella described Ferrera
as hard working, kind, and devoted to her son, Michael
Levitt Junior. The fundraiser states the family hopes Ferrera will
be home in time for the holidays. In a Thanksgiving
Day update, the family said the holiday looks very different,
but thank donors for helping them surpass their goal. The
family also credited Palmerlow and his legal team for joining

(02:47):
the fight. DHS maintains that Ferrera is unlawfully present in
the country and subject to deportation under current federal policy.
Palmerlo says he expects a hearing before a federal judge
in Louisiana. More crime and justice news after this, Lecha

(03:10):
Stein disappeared on July fifteenth of twenty sixteen in Aurora, Colorado.
She was last seen on surveillance video at two fifteen
am near East Montvieu Boulevard and North Peoria Street. She
had left her home fifteen minutes earlier. She was sixteen.
She was scheduled for a job interview on the next day,
but never arrived and has made no contact with family
or friends since. In twenty twenty, investigators searched a vacant

(03:33):
house in Aurora tied to someone they believed was involved.
They were allowed into the basement and dug through part
of it. No evidence was found. Investigators confirmed the case
remains active. Earlier this year, detective traveled out of state
to follow a tip. Regretfully, it did not produce any results.
Aurora police and the Denver office of the FBI say
they are not giving up. The last credible tip came

(03:55):
several years ago from someone who believed they saw le
Sea at a hotel on East Colfac that lead went nowhere.
Laico was an honor student at George Washington High School.
Her family said she planned to attend college and study nursing.
She was also planning to spend the summer as an
intern at a nearby medical school. She would now be
twenty five years old. Says nine is black. She's five

(04:16):
feet six inches tall and weighed about one hundred and
fifty pounds. She has long black hair usually worn in
a bun, and brown eyes. She has a quarter sized
round scar on her chest. Last scene wearing a black
V neck T shirt, black stonewashed jeans, silver hoop earrings,
and a silver watch on her left arm. Anyone with
information is asked to contact the Denver Field Office of

(04:36):
the FBI at eight hundred call FBI or tips at
FBI dot gov. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow crime Alerts hourly update on your favorite podcast app.
Find us at crimeonline dot com, and remember to catch
crime stories with Nancy Grace now on Fox one on SiriusXM,
Triumph Channel one to eleven at our new time six
pm Eastern, on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts

(04:58):
with this crime alert I'm drewelle Humpoz,