NBC · 2026-11-12 00:17 UTC

Peanut the squirrel's former owner has been detained by ICE, could be deported

Daniela Bittner, whose pet squirrel Peanut was euthanized by New York wildlife officers two years ago, was arrested by immigration officers in mid-October and is held in an immigration jail in Texas, pending possible deportation to Germany. DHS said she was arrested because she "chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation's laws." Her husband, Mark Longo, says a paperwork mix-up caused the problem and that they will have to shut down their animal sanctuary if she is deported.

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