Friday, November 13, 2026 Vol. I · No. 23 · Afternoon Edition Print size
Election 2026 494 of 505 races called See the results → The GOP Files Receipts on the Republican-run Washington · Sourced · Dated · On the record On Instagram 5.6M plays and counting @thegopfiles →
The Wire
Grand jury adds attempted terrorism charge against Correspondents' Dinner suspect About 32,000 immigrants face losing Medicare Feb. 1 under Republican tax-and-spending law Navy quietly fired submarine and destroyer leaders, Democrats say Congress was not told Miller memo requires White House staff to get counsel's approval before meeting lobbyists DOJ memo tells federal agencies to put English first and cut other languages On tape: Trump's Jan. 6 pardons told ICE it was beyond the law, Rep. Al Green says on the House floor Garcia calls Blanche's warning a threat; DOJ chief cites Constitution Bessent says Treasury wanted Megaspeed blacklisted, but 'Commerce has the pen' Postal Service to raise package prices Jan. 17 after $6.5 billion loss On tape: Cory Booker tells Kash Patel a federal judge vowed to toss subpoenas for reporters' phone records Grand jury adds attempted terrorism charge against Correspondents' Dinner suspect About 32,000 immigrants face losing Medicare Feb. 1 under Republican tax-and-spending law Navy quietly fired submarine and destroyer leaders, Democrats say Congress was not told Miller memo requires White House staff to get counsel's approval before meeting lobbyists DOJ memo tells federal agencies to put English first and cut other languages On tape: Trump's Jan. 6 pardons told ICE it was beyond the law, Rep. Al Green says on the House floor Garcia calls Blanche's warning a threat; DOJ chief cites Constitution Bessent says Treasury wanted Megaspeed blacklisted, but 'Commerce has the pen' Postal Service to raise package prices Jan. 17 after $6.5 billion loss On tape: Cory Booker tells Kash Patel a federal judge vowed to toss subpoenas for reporters' phone records

Immigration · Report · File No. 261111-551

Peanut the squirrel's former owner is held by ICE after Republicans made him a cause

Daniela Bittner, who owned Peanut with her husband, is in immigration detention and could be sent to Germany. Her husband says it stems from a paperwork error. Republicans, including JD Vance, had used the squirrel's death to attack government overreach.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
JD Vance
JD Vance. Photo: Emily J. Higgins, Public domain

Daniela Bittner, one of the owners of Peanut the squirrel, is in immigration detention and could be deported to Germany, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. Republicans, including JD Vance, once cited Peanut's death as an example of government overreach. 1

Bittner was arrested by immigration officers in mid-October at a small airport near New York's border with Pennsylvania. 1 TMZ reported the arrest was on October 15 at Elmira Corning Regional Airport. 2 She has since been moved through several immigration lockups and is now held in Texas, according to her husband, Mark Longo. 1

What each side says

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Bittner was arrested because she “chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation’s laws.” 1 DHS also said she is a German national who entered the country legally several times between May 2021 and November 2022 and then overstayed the time she was allowed. 2

Longo blames a paperwork mix-up. He said he and his wife made a mistake on one of her immigration forms and missed it while dealing with the fight over Peanut. 1 These are the couple's claims and DHS's claims. Neither has been tested in court.

From Channel GOPVance pressed to name ICE mistakes, names noneJD Vance · 2.1K plays · captioned, with the source named

Longo called conditions in the lockups “deplorable.” 1 He also said Bittner was denied replacement contact lenses. DHS said detainees get meals, clean water, blankets, medical care and chances to contact family and lawyers. 2

They put Peanut on a pedestal, won their election, and threw him off that pedestal immediately,
Mark Longo, Husband of detained Daniela Bittner and former owner of Peanut the squirrel1

The Peanut backstory

Peanut was a once-orphaned squirrel who became a social media star. State officials then received multiple complaints that the couple were illegally keeping wild animals, including the squirrel and a raccoon, in their home. 1 During an inspection, Peanut bit a wildlife biologist's gloved thumb. He was euthanized so he could be tested for rabies. 1

Republicans criticized the state's response and New York's Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul. 1 Just before the 2024 election, Vance told a rally about the case.

JD Vance
The same government that doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country doesn't want us to have pets. It's the craziest, the craziest thing,
JD Vance, Vice President, Republican1

What happens next

DHS said Bittner will stay in ICE custody (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) pending removal proceedings. 2 The coverage gives no hearing date. Longo said local officials have been looking into her case. He also said he has spoken about it with UFC chief Dana White, a longtime Trump ally. 1

Longo said the couple's animal sanctuary would have to shut down if she is deported. 1 The nonprofit is called P'Nut's Freedom Farm. 2

Here is why it matters. The case shows that immigration enforcement can reach a family that Republicans once defended in public. Longo put it this way: “They put Peanut on a pedestal, won their election, and threw him off that pedestal immediately.” 1 That is his view, and DHS says it is enforcing the law. Still, the arrest puts the administration's own words on this family next to Vance's 2024 comments.

The Record

  1. Daniela Bittner was arrested at Elmira Corning Regional Airport in New York, according to TMZ. 2
  2. Bittner is held in Texas pending removal proceedings, with possible deportation to Germany. 12
Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

  1. ABC News (AP), “Peanut the squirrel's former owner has been detained by ICE and could be deported” (2026-11-11). abcnews.com/US/wireStory/peanut-squirrels-former-owner-detai
  2. TMZ, “P'nut the Squirrel Owner's Wife Overstayed U.S. Stay, DHS Denies ICE Mistreatment Claims” (2026-11-11). tmz.com/2026/11/11/dhs-claims-daniela-bittner-overstayed-vis

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.

More from the files

Delivered free to your door*

The Morning Edition

One short email at 7 a.m. Eastern: the day's top files, one clip worth your time, and the race to watch. Plain English, large type, no clutter.

*Your inbox. Free. Unsubscribe with one click, any time.