NIGERIAN CATHOLIC NUN RELEASED AFTER ICE ARREST ON WAY TO CHURCH IN TEXAS
Read Time:1 Minute, 32 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
A Nigerian Roman Catholic nun, Sister Leticia Ugboaja, has been released from the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after she was arrested while walking to church in McAllen, Texas.
Ugboaja, 56, is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and was detained on Sunday by ICE officers as she made her way to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, located near the US-Mexico border, to attend Mass.
The arrest, first disclosed by the church in a statement on social media, attracted widespread attention and prompted intervention from several members of the United States Congress, including Representative Monica De La Cruz, a Republican representing South Texas.
Church officials said Ugboaja serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.
Brenda Riojas, spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, confirmed that Ugboaja is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System. She previously worked for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Texas.
Following the intervention of De La Cruz and other lawmakers from South Texas, Ugboaja was released and returned home later on Sunday.
“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.
As of Sunday, neither the US Department of Homeland Security nor ICE had publicly commented on the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
The incident comes amid an intensified immigration enforcement campaign under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has included operations in locations traditionally regarded as sensitive, including places of worship.
The crackdown has led some faith leaders in border communities to modify how they support immigrant congregants, encouraging online worship and providing assistance with errands for those reluctant to leave their homes.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0