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NBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Can Pope Leo XIV influence the nation's immigration debate?
CHICAGO — As the first pope from the United States and a dual citizen of America and Peru, Pope Leo XIV — a native of the Windy City — is emerging as a symbol of hope for those seeking a more compassionate approach to immigration, standing in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump's divisive policies. Despite their global influence, Leo and Trump represent starkly different visions. As Trump does everything in his power to deliver on his campaign promise of mass deportations, the newly elected pope sent another message to the world when he chose his papal name. By choosing Leo XIV, the pope made a deliberate nod to Pope Leo XIII, a champion of Catholic social teaching and a defender of human dignity during the Industrial Revolution. The choice reflects a commitment to justice and equality, echoing the struggles of workers and immigrants. 'That's Catholic social teaching,' which was founded by Pope Leo XIII over a century ago, said Father Brendan Curran, who like Pope Leo XIV grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Catholic social teaching affirms the right of individuals to migrate in pursuit of safety and a dignified life. It also acknowledges that no country is obligated to accept every individual who seeks to resettle there, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Nonetheless, nations are called to regulate their borders ' with justice and mercy.' This last principle underscores the tension created by the Trump administration, which has terminated a number of legal immigration programs, such as the original CBP One app, refugee programs and temporary protected status — and is now fast-tracking deportations, raising questions around due process violations. 'That's why his name is so important' Curran said, hoping this is the first step 'at the world stage' to 'consider the dignity of people first. And secondarily, details of policy that follow from their dignity.' A first-generation immigrant of Irish descent, Curran works with The Resurrection Project, a grassroots advocacy organization formed by six local parishes 35 years ago to advocate for immigrant rights, health care and affordable housing in southwest Chicago. Curran is optimistic that Leo XIV's background will shape his immigration stance. Born as Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Leo grew up in the vibrant immigrant community on the city's South Side. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was of French descent. And his mother, Mildred Martinez Prevost, was of Spanish heritage. Before his papacy, Leo worked in Peru for more than two decades and became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015. He started as a missionary, then became a priest and ultimately a bishop in the city of Chiclayo. He even helped build a shelter for migrants there and was praised in Peru for supporting Venezuelan immigrants fleeing the humanitarian crisis in their homeland. 'He was basically an American immigrant in Latin America,' said Evelin Maroldt, a Venezuelan immigrant of Polish and German heritage living in Chicago. 'If he knows what that feels like, it may help us,' Maroldt said in Spanish, adding she now has 'high expectations' for the new pope. 'One of the things is more support for all the immigrants around the world who are struggling a lot.' As she crafted her signature 'café mandala' at a coffee shop in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood Saturday afternoon, Maroldt reminisced about witnessing Pope John Paul II's visit to Venezuela when she was a toddler. As a Catholic, Maroldt hopes to witness another pope visit — this time, in Chicago. Chicago became an epicenter of the nation's immigration debate in 2022, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bused migrants here to create pressure for stricter border policies. With the sudden arrival of more than 50,000 migrants, city officials struggled to meet the demand for housing and social services while addressing criticism over the use of public funds to provide services for the newcomers. For Peruvian immigrant Daniel Flores, Leo's perspective could make him a strong advocate for immigrants and against Trump's policies. 'This is a plight, not just of the U.S.,' Curran said about implementing humane immigration policies. 'The open question of how we treat immigrants is a world conflict,' he said, adding that policies have repeatedly failed immigrants and 'our peoples of the world.' Balancing political views and the Catholic faith Leo has yet to speak about his views on immigration since becoming pope last week. But past social media posts — some of which are critical of Trump and Vice President JD Vance — suggest he supports protecting immigrants. His brother John Prevost also told The New York Times he knows Leo is 'not happy with what's going on with immigration. I know that for a fact. How far he'll go with it is only one's guess, but he won't just sit back. I don't think he'll be the silent one.' Still, Trump expressed pride at having an American in charge at the Vatican. Born in immigrant-rich Chicago and having served in South America, Leo brings 'an important perspective' on immigration issues, Curran said. 'It's a sign of pride that immigrant peoples have formed the pope.' As the first Augustinian friar to become pope, Leo's immigration views may also reflect the core values of his religious order: community, charity and humility. The contrast between Trump and the pope is almost 'the perfect antithesis,' highlighting that Americans are not a monolith, Flores said. 'It's such a huge contrast.' Flores, a trumpet player, was on his way to St. Procopius Catholic Church in Pilsen on Saturday afternoon to perform at a Mass honoring Mexico's Virgin of Light. Since learning of Leo's ties to both Chicago and Peru, he said, 'I feel like we got a direct line, especially Peruvians in Chicago.' Even after growing up in a traditional Catholic household, 'I feel a lot closer to God now,' Flores said. In Chicago, discussions about the new pope are shedding light on persistent divides within the U.S. Catholic Church — a challenge Leo is expected to tackle. These divisions mirror the nation's broader political polarization over issues such as immigration and LGBTQ rights. Overall, Catholics voted for Trump 59%-39% over Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, a 12-percentage point swing from 2020, according to Edison Research exit polls. The shift may reflect the influence of Trump-era culture wars on conservative media, coupled with the sway of the Catholic Church. Some Catholics like sisters Kaitlyn and Megan Reznicek, both elementary school teachers from the western Chicago suburbs, view Leo as someone who could potentially soften stark divides. 'It's sad to me that the papacy often, just like the church, can get so caught up in the divisive politics of the day,' Kaitlyn said. But having a pope that understands U.S. party politics while being more aware of what is happening internationally is crucial to uniting the Catholic Church, Megan said. The sisters said their Catholic faith shapes their politics — conservative on abortion but progressive on the environment and immigration. Flores said his Catholic faith inspires him to be selfless, care for the less fortunate and support social programs — values that align more closely with progressive politics. The pope's brother even described the new pontiff as ' middle of the road.' Leo's own voting records show he participated in both Democratic and Republican primaries. While Leo appears to be in favor of protecting immigrants, he also opposed abortion and teachings on gender identity in schools during his time in Peru. 'He doesn't fit into a particular mold,' Kaitlyn said of the pope. 'That's exactly the reality of the Catholic Church. We are not a political conservative group or a political leftist or a progressive group. But we are the Church of Christ.' 'I think he's a testament to the universality of the church,' she added.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE releases Venezuelan to donate kidney to dying brother in Chicago
CHICAGO – A Venezuelan man who traveled to the U.S. to donate a kidney to his dying brother but was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was released on Friday to eventually undergo the procedure. The pair of brothers grew up close together in Venezuela but like many in the country became separated by distance as each pursued a stable life amid the South American country's cratering economy and society. That led José Alfredo Pacheco to the United States but renal disease threatened to cut short his life. His brother, José Gregorio González, hoped to give him a chance by donating his kidney; only immigration agents arrested him before completing the procedure. ICE's detainment of González, 43, last month sparked protest in Chicago and amid pressure from activists and lawmakers, including Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, federal authorities released González from a a nearby detention center. 'I'm extremely happy for the liberation of my brother . . . We fought for one month and one day to reach this goal,' Pacheco, 37, told reporters in Chicago on Friday. He had to stop speaking at points as he welled up with emotion over his reunion with his brother. 'They separated us for a month where I didn't know what was happening with him, imagine that.' The two brothers spoke at a news conference at a legal center on the city's South Side alongside Congressman Jesús Chuy García and representatives from The Resurrection Project, a local immigrant justice group that provides legal support for the brothers. 'This case reminds us of the urgency for immigrant justice,' said García, who is from Mexico. 'It is troubling that this arrest, detention and incarceration occurred because, like this instance, there have been other instances where people are being arrested without a warrant, where we can only assume profiling is taking place based on people's appearance, where they work, where they walk, where they go to church and that's reprehensible.' ICE's release of the brother comes amid a fraught few months for immigrants across the country. Federal agents nationwide have detained immigrants who have permission to work in the country and sent them not just out of the country but to foreign jails, including a notorious prison in El Salvador. Among those swept up was a Texas family seeking medical care for a daughter recovering from brain surgery. The family is currently appealing their deportation to Mexico. President Donald Trump's publicly stated goals of significantly higher detentions and deportations across the country reflect his campaign promises to toughen border controls and kick out people he deems unwanted. ICE spokesperson David L. Yost said González was out "on humanitarian grounds." Peter Meinecke, an attorney for the brothers, explained the conditions of González's release. The older brother is being let out for one year in order to finish determining the compatibility of the organ donation. He is allowed to work during that year and is expected to check in with immigration agents. At the end of that year he may be detained and deported, Meinecke said. González, who was detained for just over a month at ICE centers in Indiana and Illinois, appeared shocked but briefly addressed reporters. 'I'm very happy and I thank everyone,' he said. 'This is unbelievable, I never imagined this was possible.' The brothers said that the first thing that they planned to do together was call their mother back home in Venezuela The two brothers come from the Venezuelan city of Guanare, the capital of the state of Portuguesa, according to their attorney. Like millions in the country, Pacheco left for the United States amid rising violence that their attorney said directly impacted the family. Pacheco arrived in the U.S. in 2022 and eventually settled in Cicero, an immigrant community outside Chicago. He delivers packages for Amazon under a permit that allows him to work while his asylum case is pending, Meinecke said. He was diagnosed with renal disease at the end of 2023, prompting his older brother to also head north to donate his kidney. Pacheco's organ has nearly completely failed and he has to go for dialysis three times a week in four-hour stints, Meinecke said. González arrived in early 2024 and after being detained for a few months was let out in March of that year. He joined his brother in Illinois and became the ailing man's primary caretaker, according to Meinecke. The brothers were leaving the house in the early morning for Pacheco's dialysis appointment when plainclothes immigration agents arrived and detained González last month. They asked González to identify himself and after confirming his identity detained him without a warrant, according to their attorney. Meinecke, who also represents other immigrants in Chicago, told USA TODAY that González's release reflected a rare glimmer of hope amid what have been a desperate few months. 'Even though the odds are against you in many cases, it's worth standing up to this administration because with collective action you can still accomplish things,' he said. 'We're committed to continuing the fight for the next four years.' More: Judge orders US to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador prison More: Boston judge orders contempt charge against ICE agent after defendant vanishes mid-trial The arrest sparked protest in Chicago after the Chicago Tribune first reported the story and nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition supporting the release that they shared. Top lawmakers in Illinois also pressured ICE to release González. 'Today is a day for family, this is a happy reunion, and we hope to have many of these in the future,' Congressman García, who is from Mexico, told reporters on Friday. 'But we hope we don't need them because that'll mean we have returned to normalcy and constitutional rule.' García lamented the fear Trump's immigration enforcement policies have had on the heavily Hispanic part of Illinois he represents where people have reported being afraid to be seen on the street since Trump came into office. 'We're troubled by the enforcement operations, by the false rhetoric that has produced these types of attention and fear in our community,' García said. 'Children are being affected, families are afraid, small businesses are hurting as well, and for the most part all immigrants want to do is work, help, be a part of the community and yes, be a part of our country.' Trump campaigned on promises of strict immigration enforcement and since coming into office, federal agents nationwide have enforced a forceful crackdown. Many immigrants who are allowed in the country have been rounded up in the mix, despite scant evidence of any wrongdoing. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant from El Salvador living in Maryland, was sent to a notorious prison in his native country after being swept up among hundreds of alleged members of crime gangs MS-13 and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua to El Salvador last month. A court order barred Garcia's removal from the country but he was deported anyway, which the Trump administration called an 'administrative error.' A federal judge ordered on Friday that he be returned to the United States. In suburban Denver, a mother has been left distraught after her husband, Venezuelan immigrant Jefferson Jose Laya Freites, was sent to the same prison in El Salvador. Laya Freites, 33, has no criminal record in the United States, and his wife says he's never been part of the Tren de Aragua gang, as Trump claimed. Now, without Laya Freites' salary from the stone countertop company where he worked, his wife is struggling to pay their mounting bills, including the rent for their one-bedroom apartment. 'I have to keep going for my kids,' she said, tears rolling down her face. Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Trevor Hughes. Michael Loria is a national reporter on the USA TODAY breaking news desk. Contact him at mloria@ @mchael_mchael or on Signal at (202) 290-4585. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Migrant released from ICE detention to donate kidney to dying brother
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuelan kidney donor released from ICE custody to help ailing brother
COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WGN) — A Venezuelan man who'd been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement was reunited with his brother on Friday after being granted a temporary release with supervision so he can donate a kidney in hopes of saving his sibling's life. José Gregorio González was released from an ICE facility in Broadview and will be under supervision for a year to continue helping his brother, José Alfredo Pacheco, who has end-stage renal disease. González had served as his brother's caregiver since coming to the United States a year ago and was detained by ICE on March 3 at Pacheco's Cicero home after accompanying him to a kidney dialysis appointment. With upcoming appointments at University of Illinois Medical Center already made to learn about the next steps in the kidney transplant process, immigration rights activists, community members and elected officials, including Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Jesús 'Chuy' García, successfully rallied for Gonzalez's temporary release. At a Friday morning press event, González said one of the first things he wanted to do was call his mother so that she could see him and Pacheco together again. Both brothers said they were very grateful for the support they've received and were happy to be reunited. March 31: Kidney donor detained by ICE, community calls for release so life-saving transplant can take place April 2: ICE to release man seeking life-saving transplant for brother after a month in custody 'These cases are indicative of President Trumps' mass deportation and detention campaign, and it's being carried out in a cruel and chaotic way where people are not afforded due process,' said Tovia Seigel, the Director of Organizing and Leadership at The Resurrection Project. Those representing González say he doesn't have a criminal record in Venezuela nor in the US. Advocates with The Resurrection Project said he is willing to return to the South American country after the life-saving operation. According to attorney Peter Meinecke, Pacheco came to the United States in 2022 and applied for asylum, which is still pending. He learned of his kidney disease a year later and has been receiving four-hour dialysis treatments three days a week. If he were to leave the country, Pacheco's application for asylum would be void, his attorney said. González came to the US after learning of his brother's diagnosis with the intention of helping him through treatment but was initially denied entry at the southern border. He was ultimately allowed to travel to the Chicago area under immigration supervision, and ICE has been aware of his movements since his arrival, his attorney said. According to advocates with The Resurrection Project, even if González is ultimately not an exact match for his brother, he will still be able to donate his kidney to save someone else. As part of the kidney swap program, another person's family member or close friend could donate a kidney in return, saving two lives in the process. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ICE to temporarily release detained migrant so he can donate kidney to his brother
A Venezuelan man who was detained by immigration officials after he traveled to the U.S. to donate a kidney to his brother is set to be released from detention as early as Friday, according to a non-profit organisation representing his family. José Gregorio González, 43, hoped to donate the organ to his brother who was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure in December 2023, after arriving in Chicago seeking asylum from Venezuela – but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained him. González, who is being held in the Clay County Detention Center in Indiana, could now be released on humanitarian parole to 'save his brother's life'. 'ICE will temporarily release José Gregorio González, allowing him to save his brother's life through kidney donation,' Eréndira Rendón, the chief program officer of Chicago-based The Resurrection Project confirmed to NBC News. Rendón said the non-profit, that deals in immigration legal services, applauded the decision, noting it 'recognizes that our fundamental human rights transcend immigration status'. 'We are grateful to everyone who stood with the Gonzalez family,' he added. González could now be granted a provisional reprieve from deportation to stay temporarily in the U.S. to care for his brother and go through with the life-saving operation. ICE has not publicly revealed the specific terms of González's release. The Independent has contacted ICE and The Resurrection Project for more information. González and his brother José Alfredo Pacheco – a 37-year-old dad-of-three – had an appointment at a hospital ahead of the organ transplant surgery, according to the Chicago Tribune. Those plans were temporarily put on hold after immigration officials arrested González on March 3. 'We both cried when they arrested him because we both know he is my lifeline,' Pacheco told The Tribune. González initially entered the U.S. in 2023, but failed the initial credible fear screening, NBC News reported. He does not have a criminal record and has complied with the requirements stated by his order of supervision, a lawyer at The Resurrection Project said. Since there were no deportation flights to his home country at the time, he was placed under ICE supervision in March 2024 and allowed to join his brother in Chicago about a year before officers arrested him. 'My brother is a good man, not a criminal in Venezuela or here,' Pacheo said. 'He came only with the hope of donating his kidney to me.' Pacheo now hopes to live to see his nine-year-old twins and 17-year-old grow up.
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
ICE to temporarily release detained migrant so he can donate kidney to his brother
A Venezuelan man who was detained by immigration officials after he traveled to the U.S. to donate a kidney to his brother is set to be released from detention as early as Friday, according to a non-profit organisation representing his family. José Gregorio González, 43, hoped to donate the organ to his brother who was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure in December 2023, after arriving in Chicago seeking asylum from Venezuela – but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained him. González, who is being held in the Clay County Detention Center in Indiana, could now be released on humanitarian parole to 'save his brother's life'. 'ICE will temporarily release José Gregorio González, allowing him to save his brother's life through kidney donation,' Eréndira Rendón, the chief program officer of Chicago-based The Resurrection Project confirmed to NBC News. Rendón said the non-profit, that deals in immigration legal services, applauded the decision, noting it 'recognizes that our fundamental human rights transcend immigration status'. 'We are grateful to everyone who stood with the Gonzalez family,' he added. González could now be granted a provisional reprieve from deportation to stay temporarily in the U.S. to care for his brother and go through with the life-saving operation. ICE has not publicly revealed the specific terms of González's release. The Independent has contacted ICE and The Resurrection Project for more information. González and his brother José Alfredo Pacheco – a 37-year-old dad-of-three – had an appointment at a hospital ahead of the organ transplant surgery, according to the Chicago Tribune. Those plans were temporarily put on hold after immigration officials arrested González on March 3. 'We both cried when they arrested him because we both know he is my lifeline,' Pacheco told The Tribune. González initially entered the U.S. in 2023, but failed the initial credible fear screening, NBC News reported. He does not have a criminal record and has complied with the requirements stated by his order of supervision, a lawyer at The Resurrection Project said. Since there were no deportation flights to his home country at the time, he was placed under ICE supervision in March 2024 and allowed to join his brother in Chicago about a year before officers arrested him. 'My brother is a good man, not a criminal in Venezuela or here,' Pacheo said. 'He came only with the hope of donating his kidney to me.' Pacheo now hopes to live to see his nine-year-old twins and 17-year-old grow up.
