A Brazilian influencer who publicly supported US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has been detained by US immigration authorities, despite previously insisting that only criminals were targeted for deportation.Júnior Pena, whose full name is Eustáquio da Silva Pena Júnior, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday in New Jersey, according to Brazilian outlet Brazilian Times. Pena is known for his pro-Trump views and for posting videos about life in the United States as an immigrant.A source told the outlet that Pena’s detention was due to an administrative issue involving an immigration hearing. The hearing had reportedly been postponed, but the change was not properly recorded in the system, leading authorities to mark Pena as absent when he did not attend.Pena has a large online following, with around 1.3 million followers on TikTok and nearly 500,000 on Instagram. On his platforms, he often described the “reality of the USA” and openly voiced support for Trump.After Trump assumed office for his second term, the president promised an immigration crackdown that focused heavily on Latin American immigrants in its first six months. During that period, Pena told his Brazilian audience that those being targeted were criminals.“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 video. He also claimed that those detained were “crooks.”The crackdown has led to the deaths of two American citizens named Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and triggered protests against ICE across several states.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 collection began in 2020.Pena came to the US in 2009 and is currently being held at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark while his lawyer, Andrew Lattarulo, works to block his transfer to another state.His detention has sparked strong reactions online, with social media accusing him of “self-sabotage” and warning that he promoted an unrealistic version of the American dream. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to cover legal and court costs, reaching its $32,000 goal by Monday.
