MAGA Shockwave: Trump’s Immigration Raids Hit Home for Carolyn Leavitt as Her Own Relative Is Detained by ICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As nationwide immigration raids escalate under former President Donald Trump’s revived enforcement agenda, many supporters of the movement are experiencing the consequences firsthand. This week, the impact reached the highest levels of the MAGA political orbit when a close relative of White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sparking intense scrutiny and national debate.

For years, MAGA loyalists have stood firmly behind Trump’s hardline immigration policies. But critics argue that the movement often fails to recognize the human and economic cost of these policies — until they affect families within the ranks of Trump’s own inner circle.

A Personal Crisis for Trump’s Press Secretary

Leavitt found herself unexpectedly entangled in the controversy when Bruna Ferreira, the mother of her 11-year-old nephew, was taken into ICE custody during a nationwide series of raids. Ferreira is currently being held in a Louisiana detention facility and faces deportation to Brazil.

Ferreira, who arrived in the U.S. legally as a child in 1998, has lived almost her entire life in America and maintained her status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Her sister, Gratziela Dos Santos Rodriguez, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal defense, which has already surpassed $14,000 toward a $30,000 goal.

A source familiar with the Leavitt family confirmed to The Daily Beast that while the detained woman is the mother of Leavitt’s nephew, the two adults have not spoken in years, and the child has lived exclusively with his father in New Hampshire. Still, the situation underscores how Trump’s sweeping enforcement policies are reaching into unexpected corners — including the families of those who publicly defend them.

Debate Over ICE Intensifies

The story unfolds amid fierce political debate about Trump-directed ICE raids, which are targeting both individuals with criminal records and large numbers of long-settled immigrants with no criminal history.

On Fox News, political commentator Jessica Tarlov pushed back against claims that mass deportations will automatically reduce crime or lower housing and insurance costs — arguments frequently repeated by MAGA surrogates, including Leavitt.

Democratic members of Congress, including Representative Jasmine Crockett, have condemned the raids as discriminatory and destabilizing.

“More than 50% of the people currently detained have no criminal records at all,” Crockett said. “They are neighbors, friends, and contributors to our communities. This administration is wrong.”

Crockett and other Democrats argue that ICE has been weaponized under Trump into an aggressive paramilitary-style force, empowered to carry out politically motivated crackdowns without accountability.

A Movement Feeling the Fallout of Its Own Policies

Critics note that many MAGA supporters originally viewed Trump’s immigration agenda as something that would be enforced on “other communities.” But a combination of intensified raids, expanded surveillance, and broadened deportation authority now means nearly anyone with an unresolved immigration status — or even a technical violation — can be swept into detention.

This, analysts say, is the “boomerang effect” of Trump’s policies: those who cheer them on may eventually find themselves or their families caught in the crosshairs.

Ethics Questions Surround Trump Allies

Leavitt’s personal crisis comes as Trump’s broader enforcement network faces mounting legal scrutiny.

Former ICE official Tom Homan is under renewed examination after reports resurfaced alleging he accepted a $50,000 cash payment during an FBI undercover operation years ago — a case that was mysteriously dropped by the Justice Department. Senator Adam Schiff has demanded clarity, calling for the release of evidence, including whether Homan kept the money and if investigators retrieved the funds.

Schiff and other lawmakers have also raised concerns about reports that the FBI is being encouraged to investigate members of Congress simply for citing constitutional law publicly — an unprecedented move that lawmakers describe as intimidation.

A Warning From Democrats: Save Your Records

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have urged congressional staff to preserve emails, texts, and documents, citing what they call a growing list of abuses and obstructions by Trump-aligned officials. Representative Eric Swalwell warned that “everything will be examined” in the aftermath of Trump’s second term.

A Hard Lesson for MAGA

While Carolyn Leavitt has not commented publicly on her family member’s detention, the incident highlights a central message echoed by critics: Trump’s policies do not selectively target only those outside his base.

Analysts argue that Trump’s inner circle has often assumed immunity from the effects of the very systems they promote — from tariffs hurting farmers to healthcare rollbacks affecting working-class families. Immigration policy, they say, is no different.

As one Democratic strategist put it:
“Trump only protects the wealthy and loyal elites. If you’re not in his inner circle, you’re vulnerable — even if you voted for him.”