Karoline Leavitt has been the subject of incessant trolling after one of her family members was arrested by ICE, with an online fundraiser now set up to support the detainee
Charl Wright US Showbiz Reporter
06:10 ET, 26 Nov 2025
Karoline Leavitt is being torn apart on social media(Image: Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
Karoline Leavitt, the White House’s Press Secretary, is facing a barrage of online trolling following news of a family member’s alleged arrest by ICE.
The mother of her 11-year-old nephew, Bruna Ferreira, was apprehended by ICE officers and is currently being held in a Louisiana facility, with deportation to Brazil looming, say reports. Bruna had been involved with Michael Leavitt, Karoline’s brother, and they share a son, Michael Leavitt Jr.
Bruna’s sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, has since established a GoFundMe page to help with their current situation, writing, “Bruna’s absence has been especially painful for her 11-year-old son, Michael Leavitt Junior, who needs his mother and hopes every single day that she’ll be home in time for the holidays.”
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The GoFundMe has since raised more than $16,000 of its $30,000 target, with 159 people chipping in to help with the cause, as of the time of writing.
One anonymous donor has even contributed $5,000 to the page, with Graziela penning, “We want to take a moment to thank every single person who has donated, shared, and stood by our family during this incredibly painful time. Your generosity, kindness, and compassion have brought us strength on days when we felt completely overwhelmed.”
Bruna Ferreira with her son, Michael
However, critics of Karoline Leavitt are reveling in the Press Secretary’s predicament, using social media as a platform to troll her relentlessly, according to the Mirror US.
Some individuals were quick to insinuate Karoline’s involvement in the arrest, despite no evidence supporting such claims, as one critic wrote, “Coming on the heels of rumors that Trump plans to shake things up in the White House, I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if Karoline turned her in for brownie points.”
“Kind of shocking that Leavitt had an illegal immigrant as a sister in law. KKKaroline probably docked her in,” penned another, while a third person added, “Would you look at that, Karoline Leavitt? Life comes at you fast.”
Others were completely stunned by the irony of the situation, with one critic of Karoline remarking, “Don’t be a hypocrite. Oops, too late.”
More than $16,000 has so far been raised for Bruna
A fellow critic then posted on X, “If only she’d dyed her hair blonde like Karoline suggested, none of this would’ve happened,” while a third joked, “So f—ing perfect,” accompanied by three crying laughing faces.
The arrest comes as Karoline was forced to lash out at a reporter during a White House press conference.
The 28-year-old press secretary for President Donald Trump, who recently suggested the high-pressure role has left her with PTSD, conducted a press briefing outside the West Wing on Monday. However, as she was speaking about Ukraine, she got cut off by a journalist, prompting the Press Secretary to say, “Let me just finish with this,” before continuing with her original answer.