CONCORD, N.H. — A Brazilian woman with familial connections to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been granted release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody as she contests her potential deportation, according to a ruling by an immigration judge on Monday.

Bruna Ferreira, 33, who has resided in Massachusetts for many years, was once engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was apprehended by ICE agents on November 12 in Revere, Massachusetts, while en route to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire.

Following her arrest, Ferreira was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana. There, an immigration judge authorized her release on a $1,500 bond, as stated by her attorney, Todd Pomerleau.

“We presented the argument that she posed neither a danger nor a flight risk,” Pomerleau communicated via text message. “The government agreed with our stance and did not contest it, nor did they pursue an appeal, labeling her as a criminal illegal alien.”

A representative from the Department of Homeland Security described Ferreira as a “criminal illegal alien” in an email on Monday, citing an arrest for battery—a charge that Ferreira’s attorney has refuted.

“She will have periodic mandatory check-ins with ICE law enforcement to ensure she is abiding by the terms of her release,” the spokesperson said. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to work to remove all aliens illegally present in the country as quickly as possible.”

Pomerleau said his client came to the U.S. as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.

Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.