Peanut the squirrel's former owner has been detained by ICE and could be deported
The saga of Peanut the squirrel, euthanized by New York wildlife officials after raising concerns about keeping wild animals as pets, resurfaces in a new twist as one of Peanut’s owners, Daniela Bittner, faces ICE detention and potential deportation. The detention follows an immigration overtime issue, with Bittner moved through multiple facilities and housed in Texas, amid claims of deplorable conditions and paperwork mix-ups. Republicans seized on the case to critique government overreach, linking it to broader political narratives ahead of the 2024 election. The couple’s situation threatens the family’s animal sanctuary and underscores tensions between animal welfare, immigration policy, and political manipulation. The outcome could reshape both the couple’s livelihoods and the public conversation around government intervention in pets and immigration enforcement.
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Two years after New York wildlife officers euthanized Peanut, the case has reemerged in political discourse as part of a critique of government overreach.
Daniela Bittner was arrested by immigration officers in mid-October at a small airport near New York’s border with Pennsylvania and is currently detained in Texas after a series of lockups.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Bittner was arrested for overstay of the visa, with her husband Mark Longo noting conditions in detention as deplorable and attributing the detention to an immigration paperwork error.
Longo says the couple previously mishandled an immigration form, and he attributes much of the ongoing trouble to bureaucratic errors connected to Peanut’s case and subsequent actions.
The arrest follows a history in which state officials had received multiple complaints about illegally keeping wild animals in the home, including Peanut and a raccoon, prompting concerns and the squirrel’s euthanization for rabies testing.
Political figures, including JD Vance, criticized New York officials and Governor Kathy Hochul, using Peanut’s death as an example of federal overreach amid electoral campaigns.
If Daniela Bittner is deported, Longo says the family’s animal sanctuary would be forced to shut down, highlighting the broader personal and community impact of the case.