# Peanut squirrel owner’s wife detained in US over visa overstay claim

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/peanut-the-squirrels-german-owner-is-seized-by-ice-and-warned-she-faces-deportation-two-years-after-animals-killing-outraged-america/
- Published: 2026-11-13T22:01:42+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T22:12:22+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16290477/Peanut-Squirrel-owner-detained-ICE.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Americas, Europe, World

## Key points

- Daniela Bittner was detained by ICE in October.
- Her husband fears she could be deported.
- He says the sanctuary may close if she is removed.

## Summary

Daniela Bittner, the German wife of Peanut the squirrel’s owner, was detained by US immigration authorities in October and has been warned she could be deported. Her detention has revived debate around the 2024 seizure and euthanasia of Peanut, which became a political symbol of alleged government overreach.

The Department of Homeland Security says Bittner overstayed her permission to remain in the US; her husband, Mark Longo, believes they made an error on an immigration form. He says she has been moved between detention centres and is now in Texas, and fears deportation would force him to close their animal sanctuary in upstate New York. Peanut had gained a large online following before state officials seized him and a raccoon from Longo’s home in October 2024.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.