A nun and registered nurse was detained by ICE while walking to church in Texas. Then members of Congress stepped in on her behalf

A Catholic nun who also works as a registered nurse was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while walking to Sunday Mass in South Texas, according to the Associated Press. Sister Leticia Ugboaja was reportedly stopped on her way to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, a city located just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. She was said to be dressed in her habit at the time.

Parish officials posted about the arrest on social media shortly after it happened, and the post gained wide attention online. That attention apparently led several members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Monica de la Cruz, to intervene on Ugboaja’s behalf.

By Monday, Ugboaja had reportedly been released and was back at her home. Ugboaja is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, according to Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville. She volunteered as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Riojas told the AP.

Diocese spokesperson credits local lawmakers for the nun’s release

Beyond her religious work, Ugboaja is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, according to Riojas. She added that she worked for 10 years before that as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg. Other families have also spoken publicly about loved ones detained by immigration authorities, including a military veteran pleading for his wife’s release after a routine check-in appointment.

Riojas said members of Congress representing South Texas reached out to federal officials after the arrest became public. “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 detention comes amid what the outlet described as President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which has included enforcement actions at sensitive sites such as houses of worship. This shift has apparently prompted some faith leaders to change how they reach church members who say they are now too afraid to attend services in person. Separately, some communities have pushed back against federal immigration enforcement through other means, including a Georgia town’s legal fight against an ICE facility.

Some religious leaders have reportedly encouraged congregants to attend services online instead of in person, while others have offered to help with errands, such as grocery shopping, for people who say they are too fearful to leave their homes.