Daniela Bittner, one of the owners of Peanut the squirrel, is in federal immigration custody and faces possible deportation to Germany, bringing a new legal fight to the family behind the Southern Tier animal sanctuary.
Bittner was arrested at an airport near the New York-Pennsylvania border in mid-October, The Associated Press reported. Her husband, Mark Longo, told AP she has since been moved through multiple detention facilities and is being held in Texas.
The Department of Homeland Security said she overstayed her authorized time in the United States. Longo disputes the government’s handling of the case, describing the problem as an immigration paperwork issue.
In a fundraiser for his wife’s legal expenses, Longo warned that deportation could force their nonprofit animal sanctuary to close and leave approximately 600 animals needing new homes.
Those are Longo’s projections about the sanctuary’s future, rather than an announced closure. His appeal seeks help paying for legal representation.
Bittner has also challenged her detention in federal court. The publicly reproduced docket for Bittner v. Greene shows she filed a habeas corpus petition in the Northern District of Ohio on Oct. 16, seeking relief from immigration custody.
An Oct. 19 order directed the government to explain why the petition should not be granted and to provide access to prescribed contact lenses or glasses. The government subsequently sought dismissal, and Bittner continued filing arguments in support of her case. Those procedural filings do not establish that a judge has ordered her release or decided whether she can remain in the country.
The immigration dispute comes two years after New York wildlife officials seized Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from the couple’s Pine City property.
Both animals were euthanized for rabies testing. Chemung County officials later confirmed that both tested negative.
The seizure drew national attention and criticism of the state’s actions. Longo subsequently challenged the legality of the investigation and the handling of wildlife rehabilitation paperwork.
The latest case concerns Bittner’s immigration status and detention. The available information establishes that she faces possible deportation, not that she has already been deported.
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