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On 28 June Sr Leticia Ugboaja, a 56-year-old member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, was travelling to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas, located a few miles from the Mexican border, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials took her into custody, according to a statement issued by the church.
The incident garnered attention across Texas as parishioners, congressional officials, advocacy organisations and the Diocese of Brownsville expressed concern that a nun dressed in her religious habit had been apprehended by ICE.
It also prompted intervention by several members of the US Congress, including Representative Monica De La Cruz, a Republican representing South Texas. Church officials said Ugboaja serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville, Brenda Riojas, also confirmed that Ugboaja is a registered nurse at South Texas Health System. She previously worked for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Texas.
Following the intervention by De La Cruz and other lawmakers from South Texas, Ugboaja was released and returned home later on the day of her arrest.
“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 said. The US Department of Homeland Security and ICE had not publicly commented on the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
“For now, it is clear that Homeland Security enforcement protocols that make it possible for a religious sister, or anyone, to be detained and handcuffed while peacefully walking to church on a Sunday morning are wildly disturbing and need to be reformed,” said Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville Flores in a statement.
The incident comes amid an intensified immigration enforcement campaign under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has included operations at locations traditionally regarded as sensitive, such as places of worship.
The crackdown has prompted some faith leaders to adjust how they support immigrant congregants, encouraging online worship and offering assistance with errands for those afraid to leave their homes.