Overview
- Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a Nigerian‑born nun and longtime South Texas nurse, was stopped by ICE officers on June 28 while walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church and was released several hours later after parish posts and congressional pressure.
- An immigration judge denied her asylum claim in 2019 but found she would likely face torture if returned to Nigeria, a ruling that bars removal to that country even though a final order of removal remains in place.
- Her attorney says ICE gave little explanation at the June arrest and told her the government planned to remove her to a third country, a tactic the administration has expanded and that critics say can bypass non‑refoulement protections.
- Federal agencies have not publicly explained the detention, and lawmakers from both parties intervened to secure her release while rights groups and LULAC have called for formal investigations and greater DHS transparency.
- Ugboaja must check in with ICE in late July, a meeting that could trigger re‑detention or electronic monitoring, and her case has put renewed focus on how third‑country removals, court findings of torture risk, and enforcement near places of worship affect settled community members.