Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a Catholic nun, was apprehended by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while walking to Sunday Mass in McAllen, Texas, triggering an immediate political firestorm and urgent calls for transparency regarding federal enforcement tactics.
The detention of Sister Letty, as she is known to her parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, occurred on Sunday morning, leaving the local community and religious leaders reeling. While the nun was released by Sunday evening following swift intervention from South Texas lawmakers, the incident has rapidly evolved into a flashpoint in the intensifying debate over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies. Federal authorities have yet to offer a detailed public explanation for why a nun, dressed in her religious habit, was targeted while travelling to a place of worship.
