The detention of a Nigerian Catholic nun while she walked to Sunday Mass has sparked bipartisan criticism in South Texas, where Republican and Democrat leaders alike say the Trump administration's immigration enforcement campaign is increasingly affecting longtime community members with no criminal record.

Sister Leticia "Letty" Ugboaja was stopped Sunday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as she walked to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, according to the Diocese of Brownsville. 

Church officials said agents confiscated her rosary, handcuffed her, and took her into custody before releasing her several hours later after members of Congress from both parties intervened. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not publicly explained why she was detained.

The Diocese of Brownsville said Ugboaja, a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy congregation based in Nigeria, entered the United States legally and has spent more than a decade serving in South Texas. The diocese said she is a registered nurse at South Texas Health System and previously worked for 10 years as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg.

"We are grateful for the quick response of local representatives who reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to get her released from custody," diocesan officials said after her release.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, whose district includes much of the Rio Grande Valley, sharply criticized the detention.

"As I have repeatedly said, our immigration enforcement should target violent criminals. A Catholic nun on her way to church is not a threat to our community," De La Cruz wrote on Facebook.

She later said her office worked directly with DHS officials to secure Ugboaja's release.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said the incident reflects growing concern over the scope of the administration's immigration enforcement strategy.

"If the administration said they closed the border and are deporting criminals and stopped there, it would've been welcome news," Cuellar said in a statement to The Washington Post. "But they didn't stop there. They started going after people on the streets and that part, the overreach by ICE, is turning Hispanics back to other candidates, to Democrats honestly."

Cuellar said he communicated with administration officials, including border czar Tom Homan, before Ugboaja was released.

The incident has drawn attention because it occurred as the Trump administration continues an expanded immigration enforcement campaign that has broadened arrests beyond recent border crossers and individuals with serious criminal records. 

Religious leaders have also raised concerns after the administration rescinded earlier guidance that had limited immigration enforcement actions at locations considered sensitive, including houses of worship.

The Rio Grande Valley, long a political battleground, has shifted toward Republicans in recent election cycles, with immigration and border security emerging as dominant campaign issues. 

Ugboaja's detention, however, prompted rare bipartisan condemnation from South Texas lawmakers who argued enforcement resources should remain focused on violent offenders rather than longtime members of the community.

Neither DHS nor ICE has said whether Ugboaja's detention resulted from an administrative error, a visa issue, or another immigration matter. As of Tuesday, the agencies had not publicly provided additional details about the circumstances surrounding her arrest or subsequent release.