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yesterday

Trump Ally’s ICE Outreach During Custody Fight Preceded Ex’s Deportation, Reports Say

The New York Times details outreach to ICE that sources say could have accelerated an otherwise routine deportation.

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Paolo Zampolli, Italian-born businessman based in New York City in the USA (United States Special Representative for Global Partnerships), is coming to the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof conference hotel in Munich (Bavaria, Germany) on February 13, 2026. The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) will take place from February 13 to 15, 2026 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. The MSC is the world's leading forum for debates on international security policy. Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Paolo Zampolli, a longtime Trump associate and presidential special representative, asked senior ICE official David Venturella about detaining his ex-partner, Amanda Ungaro, according to records cited by The New York Times.
  • Venturella then contacted ICE’s Miami office to arrange a pickup before her release on bail and noted the matter was important to someone close to the White House, the reporting says.
  • Amanda Ungaro had been arrested on fraud-related charges and was found to have overstayed her visa; she was transferred to ICE custody and deported to Brazil.
  • Zampolli denies requesting special treatment, and the Department of Homeland Security says her detention and removal followed standard procedure, rejecting any suggestion of political favors.
  • The Times notes the removal might have occurred regardless, though Zampolli’s outreach could have hastened it, fueling scrutiny of influence networks around the administration.