Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – The Diocese of Brownsville announced that Sister Leticia Ugboaja of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy has been released after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 28 while walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen to attend Sunday Mass. According to the diocese, Sister Leticia serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at the parish and works as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System (McAllen Medical Center). She previously worked for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg.
The Diocese of Brownsville said it was grateful for the support shown by the local community and for the response from local representatives who contacted the Department of Homeland Security to secure Sister Leticia’s release from custody. The diocese also stated that it is continuing to gather information regarding the circumstances that led to her detention and the manner in which she was detained.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores said, “Sister Letty is a well-known source of goodness and hope in our community, and I am grateful she has been released. Many questions remain about the circumstances surrounding Sister Letty’s arrest and detention. 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.”
Several public officials also commented on the incident through social media. U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz said on Facebook that her office was working with the Department of Homeland Security to obtain details about the detention, stating, “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.” Later, she announced that she had spoken with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and said, “Sister Letty is coming home,” adding that her office worked closely with the department to resolve the situation.
Congresswoman Monica de la Cruz posted, “My office is working directly with the Department of Homeland Security to resolve Sister Letty’s detainment as quickly as possible. 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. We will keep you updated on further developments.”
Later that evening, after speaking with DHS officials, Congresswoman De La Cruz posted:
“Sister Letty is coming home. My office worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security, and I’m grateful they acted to resolve this quickly. Thank you to everyone who kept her in their prayers. God is good.”
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar wrote on X and Facebook that, “After communicating with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Tom Homan, I’m pleased to share that Sister Letty is on her way home. The order has been given for her to be released today instead of tomorrow, and she’ll be home tonight.” He also said his office remained engaged throughout the process and thanked those who prayed for her release.
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez wrote on Facebook that the administration’s immigration enforcement policies “have now led to the targeting of nuns on their way to Sunday Mass,” adding, “It’s a far cry from the criminals they said they would detain and deport.”
Bobby Pulido, a Democratic candidate for Congress, also addressed the incident in a Facebook video. He thanked the three Rio Grande Valley members of Congress for helping secure Sister Leticia’s release and said, “Picking up gardeners and grandmas, nuns, mariachi kids, has to be called out.”
Read the statement regarding Sister Leticia Ugboaja’s detainment by ICE below:
