During the last days, the city of Chicago, Illinoishas been moved by the history of the Venezuelan brothers José Alfredo Pacheco and José Gregorio Gonzálezsince his case has captured the attention of various associations defending the rights of immigrants in the United States.
It all started on Friday, March 7, when Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICEfor its acronym in English) arrested González, who represented the only hope for Pacheco, a patient undergoing dialysis that currently faces a critical situation while waiting for a transplant kidney that could save his life.
José Alfredo was diagnosed with a terminal renal disease In February 2024, so his older brother, Gregorio, decided to meet him in the United States and entered in a way irregular To the American nation last Sunday, January 19, with the aim of supporting and caring for him before donating his kidney.
According to Pacheco, receive a kidney from a donor alive offers the best possibilities of survival for patients like him; However, González’s arrest by ICE has seriously complicated the panorama for Alfredo, who would have to wait between 3 and 4 years to be able to receive a donor’s transplantation deceased.
They ask for release to perform the transplant
After the arrest of José Gregorio, the community’s response in Chicago was swift, because the members of the organization The Resurrection Project They managed to convene dozens of people to publicly express their support to the Venezuelan brothers and demand the Immediate release of González.
Tovia Siegel, the leader of the Department of Justice for Immigrants and the director of the non -profit organization The Resurrection Projecthas assumed the legal representation of José Gregorio and currently maintains contact with the US authorities to manage his release for reasons humanitarian.
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“I don’t get tired of emphasizing Incredible urgency of the case due to the imminent possibility of the deportation From González, taking into account that expulsions to Venezuela resumed in April, ”added Tovia Siegel, who joined the call for immigration authorities to grant humanitarian probation.
According to José Alfredo Pacheco, his older brother sought asylum In the United States due to the family situation, but failed to overcome the initial interview. Given this, ICE gave González the supervision status under monitoring of GPS; However, despite meeting the requirements, José Gregorio was arrested For the agents.
Through a phone call with the American television network TelemundoJosé Gregorio González said that the world was collapsed by being captured by ICE: “I hope to go out and achieve that goal of giving the kidney to my brother. I ask the authorities to give José Alfredo a chance to continue living“
So far, the Department of National Security (DHSfor its acronym in English) has not responded to requests for comments by the media in Illinois, while relatives ensure that González is ready to save his brother’s life and that he is in the hands of the authorities to allow his departure temporary.
Today, We Join The Call for Immigration Authorities to Grant Humanitarian Parole to José Gregorio González So I have donate to Kidney to His Brother, José Alfredo González, What Life Life depends on it. pic.twitter.com/kk8nxxprh5
– Chicago Workers’ Collaborative (@chi_temps) April 1, 2025