A Catholic nun walking to Sunday Mass in a religious habit became the latest face of America’s increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her in South Texas before releasing her hours later following intervention from members of Congress.
Sister Leticia “Letty” Ugboaja was headed to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, when ICE agents stopped and detained her Sunday, according to church officials. At the time of her detention, parish leaders asked congregants to pray for her safety and called for a “swift and just” resolution.
By Sunday evening, that resolution came.
Her detention immediately sparked outrage because it appeared to contradict repeated claims from the Trump administration that immigration enforcement is focused primarily on violent criminals. Instead, critics pointed to the image of a nun being stopped while walking to church as another example of how expanded immigration crackdowns are sweeping up people who pose no apparent public safety threat.
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Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez called the incident evidence of “hyperaggressive” immigration policies, while Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz said immigration enforcement should prioritize dangerous offenders–not a nun headed to worship.
As Ugboaja’s story began circulating online, lawmakers, including Rep. De La Cruz, said they contacted the Department of Homeland Security to intervene. Church officials later confirmed that the nun had returned home and thanked elected officials for acting quickly.
In a statement, Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, wrote, “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.”
Federal immigration officials had not publicly explained why she was detained.
Ugboaja is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, volunteers as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at her parish, and works as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, The Guardian reported. According to the Diocese of Brownsville, she also spent a decade working as a certified nursing assistant before becoming a registered nurse.
The incident also underscores growing anxiety among faith communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. Since President Trump broadened immigration enforcement, churches have reported that some immigrants are afraid to attend religious services in person, prompting congregations to offer livestreamed worship and other support for members reluctant to leave their homes.
As the public continues to demand answers for why federal officials were detained in the first place, the image of a nurse, a nun, and a woman on her way to Mass being taken into ICE custody is likely to remain one of the most striking symbols of the current immigration debate.
