Former Owner of Peanut the Squirrel Held by ICE and Faces Possible Deportation to Germany

NEW YORK, Nov. 13 (TodayViralUSA) — One of the former owners of Peanut, the pet squirrel whose 2024 seizure and euthanization by New York officials became a national political flashpoint, is being held in immigration detention and could be deported to Germany, according to the Department of Homeland Security and her husband.

Daniela Bittner, 30, a German national, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Oct. 15 at Elmira Corning Regional Airport near New York’s border with Pennsylvania, the Washington Examiner reported, citing DHS. She remains in federal custody.

A ‘paperwork issue,’ her husband says

Her husband, Mark Longo, told the New York Post the couple had been on their way to a TikTok event when officers approached them. He blamed the arrest on an error in one of her immigration filings that he said the couple missed while dealing with the fallout over Peanut’s death.

“This is a minor paperwork issue and it’s being treated as if my wife literally crawled out a hole to get into this country,” Longo told the Post. He said Bittner has no criminal record and has been moved through detention centers in Syracuse, Buffalo, Louisiana and Texas, describing the conditions as “deplorable.”

DHS: ‘Overstayed her welcome’

DHS said Bittner lawfully entered the U.S. several times between May 2021 and November 2022, each time with permission to stay temporarily, and was arrested because she “chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation’s laws.” The department added that “a pending application does not confer legal status in the United States.”

From viral pet to political symbol

Peanut built a large social media following after Longo rescued the squirrel as an orphan. In 2024, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and local health officials seized Peanut and a raccoon from the couple’s home, citing rabies risk, and both animals were euthanized for testing. Republicans including JD Vance seized on the case during that year’s presidential campaign as an example of government overreach, the Associated Press noted.

The couple runs P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in New York, which Longo said could close if his wife is deported. He told Hearst Connecticut Media he has discussed her case with UFC chief Dana White, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump.