A nun in Texas, Sister Leticia Ugboaja, spoke about her experience with immigration authorities on Thursday. Dressed in her habit and on her way to Sunday Mass with a rosary and cellphone, she faced a frightening encounter with armed officials. ‘Honestly, in that moment, I did not understand what was going on,’ she said during a press conference at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen.
Her attorney, Carlos M. Garcia, revealed that Ugboaja has long been protected from deportation to Nigeria due to the potential of facing torture there. On June 28, she was detained near the U.S.-Mexico border as she headed to church. Although her detention was brief, the social media response by parish officials drew significant attention, and Congress members intervened in her favor.
Ugboaja emphasized her desire to speak out to support others in similar situations, urging that individuals deserve the opportunity to share their stories 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,’ she stated. While thankful for the support she received, Ugboaja insisted that she cannot remain silent about her experience or the ongoing issues.
Carlos Garcia explained that although an immigration judge denied Ugboaja’s asylum application in 2019, she was granted protection from deportation due to the risk of torture in Nigeria. She has complied with all legal requirements and was authorized to work in the U.S. Despite this, she faced possible removal to a third country under a policy criticized by rights groups and lawyers.
The Department of Homeland Security has stated that the third-country agreements aim to manage immigration court backlogs by offering protection opportunities in another country. However, neither DHS nor ICE have commented on Ugboaja’s case.
Ugboaja belongs to the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and volunteers at her local church while working as a registered nurse. Reflecting on the day of her detention, she expressed how distressing it was to miss Mass and Communion. ‘For me, a nun, not to go to Mass on Sunday, not to receive Communion, it was very, very heartbreaking for me,’ she shared.
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