US Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a Roman Catholic nun from custody after she was arrested while walking to church in McAllen, Texas, on Sunday.
Sister Leticia Ugboaja, 56, is a Nigerian native and a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy.
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She also serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church near the US-Mexico border.
Federal agents detained Ugboaja during her walk to the sanctuary, according to a church statement.
The incident gained widespread attention on Tuesday after the church posted about it on social media.
Several US lawmakers, including Republican Representative Monica De La Cruz of South Texas, swiftly intervened. Ugboaja returned home later that Sunday following the congressional intervention.
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Beyond her religious duties, Ugboaja works as a registered nurse at South Texas Health System.
She previously spent a decade as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in Edinburg, Texas, said Brenda Riojas, spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville.
“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,” Riojas said.
The US Department of Homeland Security and ICE declined to comment on the circumstances of the detention as of Sunday.
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The arrest occurred amid heightened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration, which targets areas historically considered sensitive, including places of worship, as reported by The Guardian.
