McALLEN, Texas — A Nigerian nun who was arrested by immigration authorities last month while walking to church in her religious habit is now calling attention to what she says is a widespread problem affecting others like her.
Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Sister Leticia Ugboaja appealed for people in immigration proceedings to have an opportunity to be heard before being taken into custody. “There are many others in this same situation, people who have been given some form of protection under our laws, who have followed every rule asked of them, and who still live with uncertainty,” she said.
Ugboaja was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 28 while on her way to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, a city located just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. She was released several hours after the detention, following attention brought to the incident through social media posts by parish officials and intervention by members of Congress.
Her attorney, Carlos Garcia, explained Thursday that an immigration judge in 2019 denied Ugboaja’s asylum application but granted her protection from being removed from the country because she was likely to face torture if returned to Nigeria. Garcia said she had complied with all requirements and held permission to work in the United States.
When ICE took her into custody in June, Ugboaja was given little explanation for the detention, other than that the U.S. intended to send her to a third country, according to Garcia. Legal advocates and human rights organizations have pushed back against the Trump administration’s third-country removal policy, which has faced court challenges.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor ICE responded Thursday to requests for comment on Ugboaja’s case, nor did they respond to earlier requests following her June detention.
Garcia noted that Ugboaja has an upcoming check-in with ICE scheduled for next week.
According to a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville, Ugboaja is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and served as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. She also works as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and previously spent 10 years as a certified nursing assistant in Edinburg, the spokesperson said.
President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement push — which has extended to sensitive locations including houses of worship — has led faith leaders across the country to change how they serve congregation members who are afraid to attend services in person. Some churches have encouraged members to participate online, while others have stepped in to help with everyday tasks like grocery shopping for those too fearful to leave their homes.
