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mahatmakanejeeves

(71,647 posts)
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 11:28 AM 7 hrs ago

Nun arrested by ICE as she walked to Mass in Texas is released

Source: Associated Press via NBC News

Nun arrested by ICE as she walked to Mass in Texas is released

Sister Leticia Ugboaja, who is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen when she was detained.


Nun arrested by ICE as she walked to mass in Texas is released.
Sister Leticia Ugboaja.via KTLM

June 30, 2026, 8:46 AM EDT / Source: The Associated Press
By The Associated Press

McALLEN, Texas — A nun was released from immigration custody after she was arrested walking to Mass in her habit in South Texas.

Sister Leticia Ugboaja was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday when she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. ... The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not responded to a request for comment since Sunday.

Parish officials posted a message on social media shortly after the arrest that gained traction in the news and led to Congress members including U.S. Rep. Monica de la Cruz intervening on Ugboaja’s behalf.

The nun is part of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and volunteered as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, according to Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville. ... Ugboaja is also a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and worked previously for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Riojas confirmed.

Members of Congress representing South Texas intervened with federal officials. As of Monday, Ugboaja was back in her home.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nun-arrested-ice-walked-mass-texas-released-rcna352374

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Nun arrested by ICE as she walked to Mass in Texas is released (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves 7 hrs ago OP
So they not only arrested her, they kept her in custody for about 48 hours?? (Released on Monday, others say) muriel_volestrangler 7 hrs ago #1
You would think PatSeg 7 hrs ago #3
Main thing was she was going about people's normal business on Sunday muriel_volestrangler 7 hrs ago #5
trumps SS Gestapo in action . republianmushroom 7 hrs ago #2
"the worst of the worst" chia 7 hrs ago #4
There are reports that she... Wuddles440 6 hrs ago #8
Probably smuggling drugs . . . AverageOldGuy 2 hrs ago #21
First step toward sainthood multigraincracker 7 hrs ago #6
And members of Congress representing South Texas had to intervene with federal officials to get her out. sop 7 hrs ago #7
They'd scoop up Jesus Christ himself and post selfies doing it. Vinca 6 hrs ago #9
THAT is a fact! bluestarone 6 hrs ago #11
Dark-skinned, Middle Eastern-looking, long-haired man preaching love...yep, they'd ship him off to CECOT. sop 6 hrs ago #13
Bible says nothing about . . . AverageOldGuy 2 hrs ago #22
One would think by now he would lose the Catholic vote. None of my Catholic friends have Wonder Why 6 hrs ago #10
I gave up Catholic friends long ago at least those who put up with their teachings and I went to Catholic school Ritabert 6 hrs ago #12
I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic schools, etc. FakeNoose 4 hrs ago #16
That was my mother moonbeam23 3 hrs ago #18
I agree. None of my Catholic siblings ever vote R nor have I. Ritabert 2 hrs ago #20
The real question is..... Sowhat13 6 hrs ago #14
Oh man! You guys are going straight to hell. Buddyzbuddy 4 hrs ago #15
Gotta watch out for those Nuns. SergeStorms 4 hrs ago #17
She looks like a hardened criminal Bayard 3 hrs ago #19
Rapist Nuns... SergeStorms 2 hrs ago #23

muriel_volestrangler

(106,903 posts)
1. So they not only arrested her, they kept her in custody for about 48 hours?? (Released on Monday, others say)
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 11:32 AM
7 hrs ago

I presume their internal justification for the arrest was "she's not white". But surely they must have had to try harder than that to lock her up?

On edit: Others say released on Monday, so 24+ hours.

Or maybe even very late on Sunday ("expedited from tomorrow to today", posted on Facebook around 8pm Texas time on Sunday), but still. They reckoned they were going to hold a nun overnight. For walking while Black.

muriel_volestrangler

(106,903 posts)
5. Main thing was she was going about people's normal business on Sunday
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 11:42 AM
7 hrs ago

ie going to church. That's meant to be what this regime wants people to do.

Wuddles440

(2,176 posts)
8. There are reports that she...
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:02 PM
6 hrs ago

routinely snacks on cats and dogs, may actually be a "trans", and is a communist.

sop

(19,934 posts)
7. And members of Congress representing South Texas had to intervene with federal officials to get her out.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 11:50 AM
7 hrs ago

That's what it took to have this woman released from ICE hell. I guess these congress members were afraid arresting a nun walking to church would create such an uproar in their districts it would harm their re-election chances.

sop

(19,934 posts)
13. Dark-skinned, Middle Eastern-looking, long-haired man preaching love...yep, they'd ship him off to CECOT.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:24 PM
6 hrs ago

Wonder Why

(7,413 posts)
10. One would think by now he would lose the Catholic vote. None of my Catholic friends have
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:07 PM
6 hrs ago

said they made a mistake.

I guess I have no Catholic friends, just Catholic neighbors.

Ritabert

(2,839 posts)
12. I gave up Catholic friends long ago at least those who put up with their teachings and I went to Catholic school
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:22 PM
6 hrs ago

FakeNoose

(43,104 posts)
16. I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic schools, etc.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 02:17 PM
4 hrs ago

... and I've never voted R in my life. Neither have any of my Catholic family and friends. We're not the monolithic voting group that some people think. Even though it's true that some Catholics went off the deep end when it comes to abortion.

I hate that fact that (back in the 80's) the Repuke Party used the issue of abortion as a way of snagging Catholic voters, when in fact it's a complete mismatch of political views other than that ONE issue.

Sowhat13

(56 posts)
14. The real question is.....
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 12:52 PM
6 hrs ago

The real question is, what happens to all of the folks like this, which Citzens Under
Nazi Tutelage S pick up, and do not have federal officials intervene on their behalf?
Isn't there still a Rule of Law, or have we truly entered into the autocracy where
cases are decided by corruption, and million dollar pardons?

Buddyzbuddy

(3,065 posts)
15. Oh man! You guys are going straight to hell.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 02:02 PM
4 hrs ago

Last edited Tue Jun 30, 2026, 06:39 PM - Edit history (1)

And that's the opinion of an Atheist.

Did they get a double bonus, since we know this Administration has an issue with Catholics.
I'm sure this will help with my Catholic/Chicano brethren in Texas at the polls. FAFO.

SergeStorms

(21,093 posts)
17. Gotta watch out for those Nuns.
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 02:37 PM
4 hrs ago

They're radicals. Trouble from the word 'go'. Especially those brown ones.

I didn't think it possible, but I'm convinced ICE "agents" are getting more stupid by the minute.

SergeStorms

(21,093 posts)
23. Rapist Nuns...
Tue Jun 30, 2026, 04:34 PM
2 hrs ago

wandering the streets of our U.S. towns. Father rapers, mother rapers, children rapers, household pet rapers. Just where does it end?

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