Fact Check: Did ICE detain a Texas nun while on her way to Sunday Mass?
MCALLEN, TEXAS: Amid controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) crackdown, a claim began circulating on social media platforms that ICE detained a nun in Texas while on her way to Sunday Mass, sparking backlash and speculation. Let us fact-check it.
Claim: ICE detained a nun while on her way to Mass
According to a claim that began circulating in June 2026, ICE agents detained a nun who was on her way to Sunday Mass in Texas. A Facebook post that named her as Sister Letty claimed she was later released.
The post states, “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.”
“Sister Norma Pimentel, who runs Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and is one of the most respected humanitarian figures on the entire border, confirmed it: Sister Letty was picked up Sunday morning while driving to Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church,” it adds.
“Then came the part that tells you everything. Sister Norma said she called ICE to find out what was happening to one of her own sisters. They never called her back. So the parish did the only thing it could. Our Lady of Sorrows posted to its parish family and asked them to pray for Sister Letty by name, because nobody could tell them where she was or when she'd be out,” the post further states.
The claim also spread on Instagram and Reddit, sparking criticism of ICE, while a few others dismissed it as fake and questioned its authenticity.
Fact Check: The claim is true, and Sister Letty was later released
The claim is indeed true, as several church members and local members of Congress said the nun had been detained and added that she had been released.
On Sunday, June 28, Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, posted to Facebook that "reports indicate that [Sister Letty] was detained by ICE while on her way to Sunday Mass."
In an emailed statement, the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville said ICE detained Ugboaja on Sunday, "as she was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen to attend Sunday Mass."
Following the incident, Republican Rep Monica De La Cruz, who represents a district that includes McAllen, posted on Facebook that she was working with the Department of Homeland Security to "resolve Sister Letty's detainment as quickly as possible."
