By our reporter 3.7.2026
The arrest of a Nigerian-born Catholic Nun by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) caused a political storm for US President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm’s elections.
Sister Leticia Ugboaja, 56, was arrested by ICE and detained while going for a Mass at a church in McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas on June 28. According to reports by the Washington Post, Ugboaja, who was wearing a white nun’s habit, had her rosary confiscated and was handcuffed during the arrest.
The arrest caused a stir amongst members of both the Democratic and Republican parties as local residents protested the arrest in the majorly Hispanic populated county near the border between USA and Mexico.
News of the incident was shared via social media by the church Ugboaja had intended to visit. The Diocese of Brownsville, which oversees Hidalgo County, stated that Ugboaja belongs to a religious order based in Nigeria and has worked as a nurse at a Texas hospital for over a decade. Neither the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor ICE responded to media inquiries regarding the case.
Texans Democrats and Republicans waded into the matter and ensured that Sister Ugboaja was released from detention the same day. President Trump is unrelenting in his immigration crack down, according to reports by New York Times, 10,000 people have been arrested this week alone.
Sister Ugboaja...arrested and released by ICE.