ICE detains former owner of viral squirrel P'Nut, her husband says
Her husband, Mark Longo, calls it a minor paperwork issue after nearly a month in custody, while DHS told the New York Post she chose to overstay.
Daniela Bittner, 30, a German native, is in custody, according to her husband, Mark Longo. The couple became known online through P'Nut, a pet squirrel that New York officials seized in October 2024 and killed. Longo says Bittner has been held nearly a month at several detention centers, moving from Syracuse to Buffalo to Louisiana and then Texas.
He says plainclothes officers who would not identify themselves swarmed the couple on Oct. 16 at Elmira airport as they headed to a TikTok event. Longo describes the cause as a minor paperwork problem. He says the government is apparently claiming the couple filed the wrong form, and that they never received a letter saying an application was denied.
A Department of spokesperson told the New York Post that Bittner entered the country lawfully several times between May 2021 and November 2022 with permission to stay temporarily. The spokesperson said she chose to overstay. DHS also said a pending application does not confer legal status.
Longo says she could be at any minute. He says that would threaten the couple's animal sanctuary in Pine City, New York, which houses about 600 animals. The Daily Beast says it has asked DHS for comment.
- some 600 animalskept at the couple's sanctuary, per LongoNew York Post
- $10 millionsought in the couple's August 2025 lawsuit against New York stateThe Daily Beast
- nearly 3 millionInstagram followers P'Nut had, per NewsNationNewsNation
Three sides of the story
11 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from liberal outlets
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Liberal2 outlets
Longo's account of a wife held over paperwork
The Daily Beast's headline says ICE "grabs" the owner of the squirrel "killed by state officials." It relies on Longo, who says Bittner has been kept in "appalling conditions," denied replacement contacts and moved three times. It quotes him calling it "a minor paperwork issue."
It stresses that she has no criminal history, and that the legal basis for her detention and any deportation timetable remain unclear. The outlet adds the background: the 2024 seizure, an AP investigation showing officials discussed killing the animals before the raid, and the couple's $10 million lawsuit. It also recalls that P'Nut became a Republican campaign talking point, with Donald Trump Jr. chanting "Justice for Peanut!" and JD Vance joking about him at a rally, and that Justice Neil Gorsuch mentioned the case at a Federalist Society dinner.
The outlet says it sought comment from the Department of Homeland Security.
- The Daily Beast: ICE Grabs Owner of Viral Squirrel Killed by State Officials
Center5 outlets
An internet-famous squirrel's owner now in ICE custody
NewsNation's report is headlined "Internet squirrel's owner in ICE custody, facing deportation." It recalls that P'Nut had nearly 3 million Instagram followers before New York officials took and decapitated him.
Conservative4 outlets
Husband's claim of a mistake, and DHS's answer
The New York Post's headline says the former owner of P'Nut was detained by ICE, "but husband says arrest is mistake." The report rests on Mark Longo, who describes "deplorable conditions" at detention centers in Syracuse, Buffalo, Louisiana and Texas. He recounts plainclothes officers swarming the couple at Elmira airport on Oct. 16 and says his wife went more than two weeks without new contact lenses.
Longo calls the matter "a minor paperwork issue." He says the government apparently claims the couple filed the wrong form, and that they never received a letter about a denial. The Post then carries the answer from the Department of Homeland Security.
A spokesperson says Bittner lawfully entered the country multiple times between May 2021 and November 2022 with permission to stay for a temporary period. The spokesperson says she "chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation's laws." DHS adds that a pending application "does not confer legal status in the United States."
The Post also gives the stakes Longo names: deportation at any minute, which he says would end the couple's sanctuary with some 600 animals.
Which side made the stronger case?
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All sources: 12 articles from 11 outlets
Liberal (2)
- HuffPost: Owner Of Peanut, Pet Squirrel Who Became Right-Wing Icon, Has Been Detained By ICE
- The Daily Beast: ICE Grabs Owner of Viral Squirrel Killed by State Officials
Center (5)
- Border Report: Peanut the squirrel's former owner has been detained by ICE and might be deported
- NewsNation: Internet squirrel's owner in ICE custody, facing deportation: Report
- Reason: J.D. Vance Used Peanut the Squirrel To Attack Government Overreach. So Why Has ICE Detained Peanut's Owner?
- The Hill: P'nut the squirrel's former owner has been detained by ICE and may be deported
- The Seattle Times: Peanut the squirrel’s former owner has been detained by ICE and could be deported
Conservative (5)
- Fox News: Former owner of Peanut the squirrel, viral pet euthanized by NY officials, detained by ICE
- New York Post: Feds reveal why OnlyFans model who became famous for P’nut the squirrel saga was busted by ICE
- New York Post: Former owner of P’Nut, pet squirrel decapitated by NY, is detained by ICE — but husband says arrest is mistake
- The Washington Times: Former owner of Peanut the squirrel detained by ICE
- Washington Examiner: ICE detains German national who once owned viral sensation Peanut the Squirrel
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