Full Breakdown
ICE Detention of Sister Leticia Ugboaja Sparks Bipartisan Outcry
7/1/2026, 11:32:07 PM
Detention While Walking to Mass
On June 28 2026, Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a 56-year-old Nigerian-born Catholic nun, was stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers as she walked in her habit toward Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, a few miles from the U.S.–Mexico border. She was handcuffed, taken to a detention facility in Raymondville, and held for roughly nine hours before being released.
Immigration Enforcement Context
The arrest occurred amid the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown, which has expanded operations to locations previously designated “sensitive,” such as houses of worship. In early 2025 the Department of Homeland Security removed churches from the sensitive-location list, allowing ICE agents to act without the earlier restrictions.
Key Individuals and Organizations
Sister Ugboaja is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, volunteers as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows, and works as a registered nurse for South Texas Health System. The Diocese of Brownsville, represented by spokesperson Brenda Riojas and Bishop Daniel E. Flores, issued statements after the arrest. Congressional figures who intervened include Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Democrat Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), and Democrat Bobby Pulido, a candidate for the same district.
Timeline
- June 28, 2026 – ICE detains Sister Ugboaja while she walks to Mass.
- June 28 – Our Lady of Sorrows posts the incident on Facebook; the story spreads rapidly.
- June 28 – Rep. De La Cruz contacts DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin; Rep. Cuellar contacts Mullin and border czar Tom Homan.
- June 29 – The diocese notes “many questions remaining” about the arrest.
- June 29 – Sister Ugboaja is released and returns home.
Official Statements and Congressional Responses
Rep. De La Cruz stressed that immigration enforcement should target violent criminals and praised the swift DHS action that secured the nun’s release. Rep. Cuellar described the episode as evidence of ICE overreach and said the release resulted from direct communication with senior officials. Bishop Flores called the detention “wildly disturbing” and urged reform of enforcement protocols. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) filed a petition urging Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to investigate.
Criticism, Opposition, and Community Concerns
Critics, including Rep. Gonzalez and candidate Pulido, argued the detention reflected broader policy failures that target law-abiding residents. Sister Rose Patrice Kuhn warned that foreign-born clergy in the Rio Grande Valley now live in heightened fear, fearing immigration officials might “look up” their names despite valid documentation.
On-the-Ground Reactions
Parishioners gathered outside Sister Ugboaja’s home, praying and crying while she awaited release. Sister Rose later recounted that the detained nun told her, “I never knew I was so loved,” after the community’s prayers.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security has provided an official explanation for the arrest, and both agencies have not responded to multiple requests for comment. Sources differ on the detention length—some cite “several hours,” while a San Antonio Express-News report specifies “about nine hours.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — Monica De La Cruz, U.S. Representative
- “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.” — Bishop Daniel E. Flores
- “They detained her. She did not have her papers on her but she’s in the country legally,” — Bobby Pulido, Democratic candidate
- “She said to me, ‘I never knew I was so loved,'” — Sister Rose Patrice Kuhn
- “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” — ICE spokesperson
- “But they didn't stop there. They started going after people on the streets and that part, the overreach by ICE, is turning Hispanics back to other candidates, to Democrats honestly.” — Henry Cuellar, U.S. Representative
Implications for Faith Communities
The case illustrates how expanded immigration enforcement at places of worship has prompted some parishes to shift to virtual Masses and to organize assistance for congregants fearful of leaving home. Healthcare workers who are also immigrants watch the incident closely, noting the personal impact on a fellow nurse.
What’s Next
Advocacy groups, including LULAC and the League of United Latin American Citizens, continue to demand a formal investigation. The Diocese of Brownsville says it will pursue answers from DHS, while lawmakers have signaled intent to monitor future enforcement actions near religious sites.
