A Nigerian Catholic nun, Sister Leticia Ugboaja, has been released from the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after she was arrested while walking to Mass in south Texas.
Ugboaja was on her way to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas, near the US-Mexico border, when ICE officers detained her, according to a statement issued by the church on social media.
The incident drew widespread attention after the church publicised her arrest online, prompting intervention from several members of the US Congress, including Representative Monica De La Cruz, a
Republican representing south Texas.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE had not publicly commented on the arrest as of Sunday.
Ugboaja is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, according to Brenda Riojas, spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.
Riojas also confirmed that the Nigerian nun works as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System.
Before that, she spent a decade working as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Texas.
Following intervention by De La Cruz and other lawmakers from south Texas, Ugboaja was released and returned to her home on Monday.
“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 added in her statement.
The arrest comes amid President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement during his second term in office. The crackdown, which has extended to sensitive locations such as places of worship, has left many immigrants fearful of attending religious services.
In response, some faith leaders have encouraged worshippers to participate in services online, while others have organised assistance with everyday tasks such as grocery shopping for those reluctant to leave their homes.
