Amidst heightened scrutiny of immigration policies and ICE operations, a story has gained traction online: a nun was reportedly detained by ICE on her way to Sunday Mass in McAllen, Texas.
The claim, circulating widely on social media, identifies the nun as Sister Letty and states she was apprehended on a Sunday morning while en route to Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Initial reports indicated that she was later released.
A Facebook post detailing the incident expressed outrage, stating, “ICE just detained a Catholic nun on her way to Sunday Mass in McAllen. Her crime: driving to church. Her name is Sister Letty, and her parish spent the day begging anyone with ICE for a phone call back.” The post further cited Sister Norma Pimentel, who leads Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, as confirming the detention. According to the post, Sister Norma’s attempts to contact ICE were met with silence, prompting the church to seek prayers for Sister Letty’s whereabouts and release.
The story resonated across platforms like Instagram and Reddit, drawing both criticism of ICE’s actions and skepticism regarding the claim’s veracity.
However, investigations and statements from church officials and local representatives confirm the incident. On Sunday, June 28, Our Lady of Sorrows Church announced via Facebook that “reports indicate that [Sister Letty] was detained by ICE while on her way to Sunday Mass.”
The Catholic Diocese of Brownsville corroborated this in a statement, confirming that Sister Ugboaja was detained by ICE “as she was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen to attend Sunday Mass.”
Following the incident, Republican Representative Monica De La Cruz, whose district includes McAllen, indicated on Facebook that her office was collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to expedite Sister Letty’s release.
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