A transatlantic custody dispute has erupted into a political controversy, with explosive claims that a well-connected Trump ally may have influenced immigration enforcement to detain his former partner.
The case centres on Amanda Ungaro, a Brazilian national deported from the United States after her arrest in Miami on fraud charges — the official explanation for her removal. What remains under scrutiny is how she came to be in ICE custody at all. A New York Times investigation published on 20 March 2026 and cited by People alleged that her ex-partner, Paolo Zampolli, contacted a senior immigration official during a heated custody battle over their teenage son, raising questions about whether personal connections were leveraged within the system.
