Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a 56-year-old nun, was taken into immigration custody in Texas last month while on her way to Sunday Mass. She was released several hours later after parish officials and Congress members intervened on her behalf. Ugboaja, who has been granted protection from removal to her native Nigeria due to fear of torture, spoke out about her experience, pleading for people to be heard before being taken into custody. Her attorney said she had complied with all immigration requirements and had permission to work in the US.
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Sister Leticia Ugboaja’s detention was a brief but intense experience, with ICE officers approaching her while she walked to Mass. Her release was facilitated by public attention and congressional intervention. Ugboaja’s case highlights the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, including the third-country removal policy. The policy has faced criticism and legal challenges, with DHS defending it as a means to address immigration court backlogs. Ugboaja’s experience is a personal example of the uncertainty faced by many immigrants in the US.
ICE’s actions can be seen as a form of “enforcement by surprise”.
Author: Evan Null
