Right-wing Brazilian influencer Júnior Pena, who amassed a huge social media following by staunchly supporting President Trump’s immigration crackdown, was recently arrested by ICE agents in New Jersey, as reported by The Guardian. Pena previously urged his Brazilian followers not to panic about reports of ICE agents rounding up migrants. He made the bold claim that the agents were only targeting “crooks. The lot of them.”
Pena, whose full name is Eustáquio da Silva Pena Júnior, has hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok and Instagram. He uses his accounts to showcase what he calls “the reality of the United States” from a migrant’s viewpoint. He certainly hasn’t been shy about his political allegiance, recently announcing in a video message, “I [support] Donald Trump – I like the guy.” Now, we’re seeing reports that he’s been detained himself.
Pena was reportedly taken into custody and is currently being held at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. A friend told a local publication that the issue stemmed from Pena missing a court hearing. We know his lawyer, Andrew Lattarulo, is currently working hard to resolve the situation and hopefully prevent him from being transferred to a detention center in another state. Pena has actually lived in the US since 2009, hailing from Belo Horizonte, which is the capital of Minas Gerais.
The irony is thick with this one
It’s clear Pena uses his platform for heavy political commentary. He frequently shares stories from other migrants while also echoing voices highly critical of Brazil’s current left-wing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He’s also a big supporter of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s recently jailed former far-right president and a known ally of President Trump.
This detention is happening during a time when the anti-migrant offensive is really impacting the estimated 2 million-strong Brazilian community in the US. The numbers are pretty stark. Last year, deportations of Brazilians hit a record high of 2,785, which is a massive jump from 1,640 the year prior.
There’s a real atmosphere of fear on the streets where people who simply “look foreign” can become targets, regardless of their actual immigration status. It’s terrible to hear that Brazilian migrants in major cities like Boston are adopting some pretty drastic “survival tactics” just to feel safe. This includes things like avoiding speaking Portuguese in public and trying to dress like “average Americans” when they leave their homes.
You can imagine the reaction online when news of Pena’s arrest went viral. It was instant chaos. Many left-wing Brazilians flooded his Instagram account specifically to taunt him. One person wrote, “You supported Trump and in the end you suffered the consequences.” Another critic posted, “What goes around comes around.”
On the flip side, friends of the influencer posted messages asking his dedicated followers to pray for his release. It’s certainly a major reversal of fortune, and it proves that immigration enforcement doesn’t care about your political loyalties.
Published: Feb 3, 2026 11:00 am