Nun Released from ICE Custody After Arrest While Walking to Mass in Texas

A nun, Sister Leticia Ugboaja, has been released from immigration custody following her Sunday arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while walking to Mass in her habit in McAllen, Texas, just miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor ICE has commented since Sunday.

Her detention gained traction after parish officials posted on social media, prompting intervention from Congress members, including U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

“As I have repeatedly said, our immigration enforcement should target violent criminals. A Catholic nun on her way to church is not a threat to our community,” De La Cruz said on Facebook.

The nun is part of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and volunteered as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, according to Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville.

Ugboaja is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and worked previously for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Riojas confirmed.

Members of Congress representing South Texas intervened with federal officials. As of Monday, Ugboaja was back in her home.

“We are grateful for the quick response of local representatives who reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to get her released from custody,” Riojas added in her statement.

Democrat Bobby Pulido also called on elected officials to help Ugboaja.

“They detained her. She did not have her papers on her but she’s in the country legally,” Pulido said. “This should not be happening. I call on all the elected officials that have the power to go do something to get her out and also bring attention to this because there’s a lot of people like Sister Letty that are getting detained needlessly just by how they look or how they talk. Please, this has to stop.”