Questions are mounting after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a Catholic nun in South Texas before releasing her just hours later, leaving religious leaders and elected officials seeking an explanation.
Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a Nigerian national, was taken into custody Sunday while walking to attend Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, according to the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville. She was released later that same day, but federal officials have not publicly explained why she was detained.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to multiple requests for comment or provide additional details about the incident, adding to growing concerns surrounding the case.
Sister Ugboaja serves as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and previously worked for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at a health center in Edinburg, the diocese said. She is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy congregation and also volunteers as a minister at Our Lady of Sorrows Church.
The Catholic Diocese of Brownsville said it is still trying to determine exactly what happened.
“At this time, we are continuing to gather information regarding the circumstances that led to Sister Leticia’s detainment and the manner in which she was detained.”
Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz said her office contacted the Department of Homeland Security to help secure Sister Ugboaja’s release. In an earlier Facebook post, she said staff members were working with DHS to “resolve Sister Letty’s detainment as quickly as possible.”
After the nun was released, De La Cruz questioned why immigration authorities targeted her.
“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,” she said on Facebook.
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar also criticized the incident, saying it deserved closer scrutiny.
He wrote on X that reports about the nun’s arrest “raise serious concerns about how immigration enforcement resources are being used.”
The diocese thanked local lawmakers who contacted federal officials on Sister Ugboaja’s behalf while calling for more information about the events leading up to the detention.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores strongly criticized the arrest and said the community continues to seek answers.
“Sister Letty is a well-known source of goodness and hope in our community, and I am grateful she has been released. There are many questions remaining about the circumstances surrounding Sister Letty’s arrest and detention,” Bishop Flores said in a statement.
He also urged changes to current enforcement procedures.
“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,” he added.
Federal authorities have not announced whether any further action will be taken or explained the legal basis for Sister Ugboaja’s brief detention. Until that information is released, questions from religious leaders, lawmakers, and community members are expected to continue.