A Catholic religious sister serving as a nurse in South Texas is speaking publicly for the first time after being briefly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), describing the emotional toll of the experience while expressing continued trust in God’s providence.
According to EWTN News, Sister Leticia Ugboaja addressed reporters during a July 23 press conference, reflecting on the fear she experienced after ICE agents stopped her on June 28 as she walked to Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas.
“I was very much afraid, with cold sweat,” Sister Ugboaja said. “I did not expect [it]; on an ordinary Sunday morning, when people should be ready to go to Mass to worship the Lord, on the street here, just in front of the school, where I have walked … a countless number of times.”
She also described the encounter as deeply unsettling.
“I will not pretend it did not hurt and it’s hurting me today,” she said, noting that the two ICE agents were “armed, and I’m just a small woman, a nun, armless, with just my rosary, my key, and my phone.”
According to EWTN News, Sister Ugboaja said one of the most painful moments came when she asked if she could first attend Sunday Mass and receive Holy Communion before being taken into custody. She said the request was denied.
“It was heartbreaking,” she said, explaining that Sunday Mass is “obligatory … it is mandatory.”
Despite the ordeal, the religious sister said her faith has remained her source of strength. Quoting Christ’s words, she said she continues to trust the Lord’s promise to “not be afraid, because I am with you always.”
Sister Ugboaja is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and has served as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System for more than a decade.
During the same press conference, her attorney, Carlos Garcia, provided additional details about her immigration status. According to EWTN News, Garcia explained that an immigration judge denied her asylum application in 2019 but granted her protection from removal to Nigeria under the United Nations Convention Against Torture after determining she would likely face torture if returned.
Garcia said that while she technically remains under a final order of removal, the legal protection prevents her deportation to Nigeria. He also emphasized that she is legally authorized to work in the United States and “has never missed an immigration appointment.”
According to EWTN News, Garcia questioned why Sister Ugboaja was detained, noting that many individuals with the same form of legal protection have long believed they could remain in compliance with immigration authorities as long as they followed the rules.
He also expressed concern about the manner in which recent immigration enforcement actions have been carried out, saying it is difficult to understand why people are being taken into custody without being informed of the government’s reasoning.
Sister Ugboaja said she hopes attention will also be given to others facing similar uncertainty.
“I am not the only one,” she said, referring to people who have received legal protections yet continue to live with uncertainty about their future. She said she prays for those individuals and asked that authorities provide “the opportunity to be heard” before anyone is taken into custody.
According to EWTN News, Garcia said Sister Ugboaja is scheduled for an immigration check-in on July 28, where she could face additional detention or be required to wear an ankle monitor. He urged authorities not to impose either measure, saying she “has broken no rule, posed no danger, and given the country a decade of nursing and a lifetime of ministry.”
Garcia also said ICE sought to remove Sister Ugboaja to a third country, an issue he noted is currently being challenged in federal courts. He argued that she should receive notice and a meaningful opportunity to contest any proposed third-country removal before being detained.
The incident occurred during a period of increased immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, according to EWTN News, including operations conducted near houses of worship.
Sister Ugboaja was released later the same day she was detained after intervention from elected officials. According to EWTN News, U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said his office contacted Department of Homeland Security officials to help secure her release. Cuellar later stated, “This is not the way they should have picked her up. If ICE had any questions, there would have been more appropriate ways to deal with her situation.”
Now back home, Sister Ugboaja continues both her ministry and her nursing work while awaiting the next steps in her immigration case, relying on her Catholic faith as she faces an uncertain future.
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