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Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE

Read the original at The Daily Wire ↗
Cite

Taer, J. (2026, November 13). Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE. The Daily Wire. https://www.dailywire.com/news/peanut-the-squirrels-owner-arrested-by-ice

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Daily Wire · collected 2026-11-14 · by Jennie Taer

Quick Summary

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 30-year-old Daniela Bittner at an airport in Chemung County, New York, in October for overstaying her visa. While the Department of Homeland Security cites legal defiance, Bittner's husband, Mark Longo, claims the detention resulted from a paperwork mix-up and criticizes Republicans who previously championed the couple's story regarding their squirrel, P’nut. The report highlights the irony of the couple's situation, noting that the government celebrated their story after P’nut was euthanized by the state in 2024 due to rabies concerns and illegal wildlife ownership.
Written by AI on 2026-11-14, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).
See how they differ ↓

AI analysis

Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.
Reading Centre (beta estimate) Confidence high
Leaning: centre for article 152671 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-11-14

How they differ

4 outlets covered “Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE”.

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

The Daily WireThis outlet14 Nov

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 30-year-old Daniela Bittner at an airport in Chemung County, New York, in October for overstaying her visa. While the Department of Homeland Security cites legal defiance, Bittner's husband, Mark Longo, claims the detention resulted from a paperwork mix-up and criticizes Republicans who previously championed the couple's story regarding their squirrel, P’nut. The report…

Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE (this article)
Washington Examiner12 Nov

Daniela Bittner, a 30-year-old German national and former owner of the viral sensation Peanut the Squirrel, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at New York’s Elmira Corning Regional Airport on October 15. She remains in federal custody pending a possible deportation to Germany after being arrested for overstaying her welcome in defiance of national laws. The report focuses on the irony of a viral…

ICE detains German national who once owned viral sensation Peanut the Squirrel →
Fox News12 Nov

Daniela Bittner, a German native whose pet squirrel Peanut was euthanized by New York wildlife officials in 2024, was detained by ICE in mid-October near the New York-Pennsylvania border. While her husband, Mark Longo, characterizes the arrest as a minor paperwork error made during the period of the squirrel's seizure, the Department of Homeland Security states she was arrested for overstaying her legal residence…

Former owner of Peanut the squirrel, viral pet euthanized by NY officials, detained by ICE →
Daily Mail13 Nov

Daniela Bittner, a 30-year-old German national, was arrested by ICE in mid-October at an airport near the New York-Pennsylvania border and faces deportation for overstaying her visa. Her husband, Mark Longo, reports that she is currently being held in a Texas detention center following the owner's involvement in the viral saga of Peanut the squirrel, who was euthanized by New York officials in October 2024. The…

Peanut the squirrel's German owner is seized by ICE and warned she faces deportation two years after animal's killing outraged America →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads centre and hedges 16% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Peanut the squirrel's German owner is seized by ICE and warned she faces deportation two years after animal's killing outraged America Same event
Daily Mail
Leans right further right than this Hedges 0 of 19 claims Outlet record 70/100
Former owner of Peanut the squirrel, viral pet euthanized by NY officials, detained by ICE Same event
Fox News
Hedges 9 of 24 claims Outlet record 67/100
ICE detains German national who once owned viral sensation Peanut the Squirrel Same event
Washington Examiner
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 67/100
J.D. Vance Used Peanut the Squirrel To Attack Government Overreach. So Why Has ICE Detained Peanut's Owner? Different event
Reason
Leans strongly right further right than this Hedges 2 of 22 claims Outlet record 67/100
“While both articles discuss the detention of Peanut the Squirrel's owner, they describe different specific incidents: Article A mentions a government raid in 2024, while Article B reports an ICE arrest in October of the current year.”

Story

Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE
Other · 4 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↑
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
19
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
16%
3 of 19 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Centre
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
59/100
The Daily Wire's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Other
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-14 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Daily Wire · 261 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 1 correction(s)
2026-11-11
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Who wrote this

Jennie Taer
14 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
“The only outcome that will save this place is my wife not being deported,” he said.
2026-11-14 · assertive framing · Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE
“I couldn’t be prouder of the brave men and women of ICE, who just broke more historic records,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
2026-11-12 · assertive framing · Trump’s ICE Just Blew Past Biden On Arrests, And That’s Only Half The Story
The Honduran man was detained in the back of the plane after the flight crew convinced him to move away from the cockpit so the plane could land safely in New Orleans, according to the New York Post, citing air traffic control audio. “He changed into all black before he started trying to reach the cockpit,” local authorities were heard saying in the audio recording, according to the New York Post.
2026-11-12 · mixed framing · Trans Asylum Claim Has DHS Explaining How Hijacking Suspect Was ‘Gaming’ The System
A migrant caravan is moving north through Mexico, with some members hoping last week’s Democrat midterm victories will make it easier to enter the United States.
2026-11-11 · assertive framing · Migrant Caravan Heads Toward U.S., Betting On Democrats To Open The Door
The 8-1 decision will allow the federal government to resume construction of roughly 340 miles of wall and surveillance infrastructure in the Big Bend Sector, which spans more than 500 miles of border.
2026-11-10 · assertive framing · SCOTUS Opens The Door For Trump To Expand Border Wall
Three days after Election Day, Houston Democrat Mayor John Whitmire signed an order limiting local police officers’ ability to contact ICE, allowing illegal immigrants considered to be non-violent offenders to walk free.
2026-11-10 · assertive framing · Texas Dems Take Advantage Of Blue Wave To Draw Up Sanctuary City Plans
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Monday that the Trump administration will not make an immigration deal with Democrats if it means giving amnesty to illegal immigrants.
2026-11-09 · assertive framing · Mullin Reveals His Red Line For An Immigration Deal With Dems
In an interview with “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Trump said he “was too tough” with his deportation campaign and added that he would “love” to make a deal with Democrats to give some illegal immigrants without criminal histories legal status. “I think it was too tough.
2026-11-09 · assertive framing · Trump Hints At What A Deal With Dems Could Mean For His Deportation Push
In a 60 Minutes interview that aired on Sunday, the president said the deportation raids may have gone too far.
2026-11-09 · assertive framing · Trump Says His Mass Deportation Effort ‘Was Too Tough’
The nine House districts touching the border in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California will all have Democrat representation in the next Congress.
2026-11-08 · assertive framing · Democrats Won Control Of Every House Seat Along The Southern Border
Also by Jennie Taer
Trump’s ICE Just Blew Past Biden On Arrests, And That’s Only Half The Story
2026-11-12 · The Daily Wire
Trans Asylum Claim Has DHS Explaining How Hijacking Suspect Was ‘Gaming’ The System
2026-11-12 · The Daily Wire
Migrant Caravan Heads Toward U.S., Betting On Democrats To Open The Door
2026-11-11 · The Daily Wire
EXCLUSIVE: Attempted Plane Hijacking Migrant Claimed To Be Trans To Get Fast Pass Into US
2026-11-11 · The Daily Wire
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 14 articles by Jennie Taer →

Topics

DEC ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement New York the State of New York

Subjects

Peanut PERSON · 4× DEC ORG · 3× Longo PERSON · 3× ICE ORG · 2× New York GPE · 2× Chemung County GPE · 1× Daniela Bittner PERSON · 1× Germany GPE · 1× Immigration and Customs Enforcement ORG · 1× the State of New York GPE · 1×

Narrative

Daniela Bittner, a 30-year-old from Germany, was taken into ICE custody at Elmira Corning Regional Airport in Chemung County, New York, in October because she “chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation’s laws,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-14
“The only outcome that will save this place is my wife not being deported,” he said.
2026-11-14 · The Daily Wire
Peanut The Squirrel’s Owner Arrested By ICE · assertive framing

Claims (19 extracted, 3 hedged)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested a woman who owned P’nut the squirrel, who was famously euthanized by the State of New York in 2024. asserted
who → arrest → 2024
Daniela Bittner, a 30-year-old from Germany, was taken into ICE custody at Elmira Corning Regional Airport in Chemung County, New York, in October because she “chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation’s laws,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. asserted
Department → take → Security
Her husband, Mark Longo, said Bittner was detained because of a paperwork mix-up and called the conditions inside immigration detention “deplorable.” asserted
Bittner → say → detention
Now, Longo is calling out Republicans, who championed the couple’s story on the campaign trail after Peanut’s euthanasia, and pleading for his wife not to be deported. asserted
wife → call → euthanasia
During a rally before the 2024 election, JD Vance called out “the same government that doesn’t care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country” for not wanting “us to have pets.” asserted
us → call → pets
“It’s the craziest, the craziest thing,” he said at the time. asserted
he → ’ → time
“They put Peanut on a pedestal, won their election, and threw him off that pedestal immediately,” Longo said, according to The Associated Press. uncertain
Longo → put → Press
“I’m begging the world to find an answer as to why this keeps happening to me. asserted
this → beg → me
One time, you can call it what it is. asserted
it → call → it
Two times, it’s now becoming a little bit more of a target.” asserted
it → become → target
“The only outcome that will save this place is my wife not being deported,” he said. asserted
he → save → place
New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers searched the couple’s home in 2024 under a warrant and confiscated the famous squirrel and a rescued raccoon named Fred, the couple told TMZ at the time. asserted
couple → search → time
The animals were later euthanized. asserted
animals → euthanize → ?
The DEC said it received multiple complaints about potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and about wildlifte being kept illegally as pets. uncertain
wildlifte → say → pets
The agency also said that Peanut bit a person involved in the investigation while they were confiscating the squirrel. asserted
they → say → squirrel
“In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. asserted
person → involve → squirrel
To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized. asserted
animals → test → rabies
The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician,” the DEC said in a statement, according to WETM. uncertain
DEC → test → WETM
Longo said he took Peanut in after seeing the squirrel’s mother get hit by a car in New York City, and kept him for seven years. asserted
mother → say → years
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