Nun Arrested by ICE While Walking to Mass in Texas Is Released
A Catholic nun was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while walking to Sunday Mass in McAllen, Texas, and released the same day after bipartisan intervention from members of Congress, according to NBC News. The incident has drawn widespread attention to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices, particularly the rescission of protections for so-called “sensitive locations” such as churches.
The Incident
Sister Leticia Ugboaja, known as “Sister Letty,” was detained on Sunday, June 28, while walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. She was wearing her religious habit at the time of the arrest, The Guardian reported.
Sister Letty is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, a congregation founded in Nigeria, and serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at the church. She is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and previously worked for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Texas.
Parish officials posted about the detention on Facebook shortly after it occurred, calling for prayers and a swift resolution. The post gained traction and quickly drew the attention of elected officials.
Bipartisan Intervention
The swift resolution of Sister Letty’s detention involved cooperation across party lines. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) contacted Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin directly, while Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) also communicated with DHS officials, as reported by America Magazine.
“After communicating with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Tom Homan, I’m pleased to share that Sister Letty is on her way home,” Cuellar wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “The order has been given for her to be released today instead of tomorrow, and she’ll be home tonight.”
De La Cruz, whose district includes part of the Rio Grande Valley, said in a statement: “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.”
By Sunday evening, Sister Letty had been released from custody and returned home. The Diocese of Brownsville confirmed she was back in her residence by Monday, June 29.
Questions Remain
Notably, neither the Department of Homeland Security nor ICE has responded to requests for comment from multiple news outlets, leaving key questions unanswered. Sister Letty’s immigration status has not been publicly disclosed, and it remains unclear whether ICE agents had a warrant or what prompted the detention.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville expressed gratitude for her release but called for broader reforms. “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,” he said in a statement.
Policy Context
The arrest occurred under the Trump administration’s revised immigration enforcement policies. In January 2025, Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued a memo rescinding the 2021 “Protected Areas” policy, which had previously restricted ICE enforcement at or near schools, hospitals, churches, and other sensitive locations, according to ICE Encounter.
An ICE “Common Sense” Directive issued on January 31, 2025, replaced categorical prohibitions with individual officer discretion, stating that officers “shall utilize their enforcement discretion alongside a healthy dose of common sense when balancing interests.”
This policy shift has created widespread fear in immigrant communities. Faith leaders have reported reduced church attendance, with some congregations encouraging online services and offering help with errands for members too fearful to leave their homes.
Broader Implications
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) condemned the incident as “just another effect of this administration’s hyperaggressive immigration policies in our communities. They have now led to targeting nuns on their way to Sunday Mass. It’s a far cry from the criminals they said they would detain and deport.”
The image of a nun in religious habit being handcuffed and detained on her way to church has symbolic power that transcends partisan lines. The bipartisan response from South Texas representatives reflects the unique dynamics of the border region, where immigration enforcement has direct and visible impacts on communities.
What’s Next
Bishop Flores and other religious leaders have called for reforms to enforcement protocols, but no official policy changes have been announced. ICE and DHS have not clarified the circumstances of Sister Letty’s detention, leaving open questions about whether this was a targeted action or a random encounter. The incident is likely to intensify the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement at sensitive locations as the Trump administration continues its second-term immigration crackdown.