Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a 56-year-old nun, held a news conference at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen to discuss her detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on June 28. She described the experience of being approached by armed officers while walking to Mass, saying she was confused and frightened during the encounter. She was released several hours after her arrest, which gained public attention after parish officials posted about the incident on social media. Congressional representatives subsequently intervened on her behalf.
Ugboaja’s attorney, Carlos M. Garcia, provided details about her immigration case, stating that an immigration judge in 2019 denied her asylum application but granted her protection from removal to Nigeria, her native country, based on findings that she likely would face torture if returned there. Garcia indicated that Ugboaja, who works as a nurse, had complied with all legal requirements and held authorization to work in the United States. According to her attorney, when ICE took her into custody, she received limited explanation for the detention. Garcia noted that the government indicated plans to remove her to a third country rather than Nigeria.
Ugboaja expressed that she wanted to speak publicly to draw attention to her own situation and to advocate for others facing comparable circumstances. She called for people to have opportunities to be heard before immigration authorities take them into custody. She noted that many others hold some form of legal protection under immigration law, have followed all required procedures, and continue living with uncertainty about their status.
Ugboaja serves as a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and volunteered as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at her parish. She also works as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System. During her detention, she requested permission to attend Mass and receive Communion but was denied. She described this as deeply painful given her religious vocation. Ugboaja faces a scheduled check-in appointment with ICE.
The Trump administration’s policies on immigration enforcement and third-country removals have drawn criticism from legal advocates and human rights organizations, with some court challenges pending. The Department of Homeland Security has stated that third-country agreements are intended to allow asylum seekers to pursue protection in partner nations and to help address backlogs in immigration courts. Neither DHS nor ICE responded to requests for comment regarding Ugboaja’s case.
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