ICE detains nun on the way to Mass in South Texas

ICE detained Sister Leticia “Letty” Ugboaja while she was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, for Sunday Mass, and she was released later that day after South Texas lawmakers intervened, according to AP and Texas Public Radio. AP said she was back home by Monday.

The episode has turned into a church-state flashpoint because it put immigration enforcement next to a house of worship. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville called the circumstances “wildly disturbing” and said protocols that allow a religious sister to be detained while walking to church should be reformed.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says its 2026 religious-liberty report treats enforcement at or near churches as a national concern. The report says DHS rescinded prior guidance that had required headquarters approval before immigration enforcement in or near protected areas such as churches, schools and hospitals, and it warns that fear of enforcement can affect worship attendance.

For now, this is one documented incident, not proof of a formal nationwide policy change. What to watch next is whether ICE or DHS clarify how enforcement should work near houses of worship.

Sources

• AP News report on the Texas nun detention
• KSAT report on the detention and release
• Texas Public Radio report on the Rio Grande Valley nun
• Global Sisters Report follow-up on Bishop Flores
• USCCB 2026 Religious Liberty Annual Report