SELF-SABOTAGE

ICE Detains MAGA Influencer Who Claimed Only ‘Crooks’ Get Deported

“I like the guy,” the Brazilian influencer said of Trump.

A Brazilian influencer who openly supported President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has been detained by ICE.

Júnior Pena, whose full name is Eustáquio da Silva Pena Júnior, was taken into custody on Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Jersey, the Brazilian Times reported.

According to a friend who spoke with the outlet, the influencer was detained due to an administrative issue related to the postponement of an immigration hearing that was not correctly recorded in the system, causing Pena’s name to appear as absent when he missed the court hearing.

The Brazilian influencer, who has 1.3 million followers on TikTok and nearly half a million on Instagram as he chronicles the “reality of the USA” as an immigrant, previously announced on his account that he “supports” Trump, 79, and declared, “I like the guy.”

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When Trump was inaugurated in January 2025 and promised an immigration crackdown—targeting primarily Latin American immigrants in the first six months—Pena told his Brazilian followers that everyone being targeted was a “crook.”

“I wanted to tell you not to be so scared, there are many people scared. There are many influencers spreading fear among immigrants without having facts, evidence, or proof that so-and-so was deported,” Pena said in one of his videos.

His words echoed those of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has repeated the Trump administration’s slogan that its immigration crackdown—which has led to the deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis and sparked anti-ICE protests across the country—is focused on capturing “the worst of the worst.”

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Yet records released by the Deportation Data Project show that the share of detainees with criminal convictions fell to about 28 percent by mid‑October during crackdowns that targeted primarily Democrat‑run cities.

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According to a December report citing Brazil’s Federal Police, 2,268 Brazilian nationals were deported from the United States in 2025—the highest number recorded since data became available in 2020.

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Following his detention on Saturday, Pena—who came to the U.S. in 2009— is reportedly being held at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, while his lawyer, Andrew Lattarulo, seeks to prevent his transfer to another state.

Pena’s arrest made waves on social media, where commentators said the influencer had engaged in “self-sabotage” by supporting a president who is vocally critical of immigrants, and some users warned that he promoted a vision of the American “dream” that he never achieved himself.

Meanwhile, the influencer’s friends have launched a fundraising campaign to cover “legal representation and court expenses” for their detained friend.

“Every dollar will make a real difference in ensuring Junior has the best chance possible to resolve his case and return to the community he’s always supported,” wrote Jorge Saboia, the organizer of a GoFundMe campaign that had reached its $32,000 target as of Monday.

The Daily Beast has contacted ICE and Pena’s attorney for comment.

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