Chicago area man needs a kidney as his brother, a potential donor, is held by ICE
Chicago area man needs a kidney as his brother, a potential donor, is held by ICE
A Chicago area father’s life depends on a kidney transplant, but his brother and potential donor, is in ICE custody.
CICERO, Ill. - A Chicago area father’s life depends on a kidney transplant, but his brother and potential donor, is in ICE custody.
The man detained is not fighting to stay in the U.S., but to save his brother's life, and the family said they're running out of time.
What we know:
Jose Alfredo Pacheco, needs a kidney to survive. Doctors said Pacheco has complete kidney failure. He’s been on dialysis three days a week, four hours at a time.
His only viable donor, his older brother, Jose Gregorio Gonzalez came from Venezuela to help.
The brothers had a transplant evaluation scheduled for April, but on March 3, ICE agents arrested Gonzalez in Cicero. He's in detention in Indiana.
ICE knew about his plan to donate and let him stay in the U.S. under supervision last year.
Gonzalez's attorney said he has no criminal record and had been complying with federal requirements since he entered the country.
What they're saying:
Advocates, elected officials, and faith leaders gathered on Monday in Berwyn to urge ICE to release Gonzalez under a temporary legal option called humanitarian parole.
"It would allow Jose Gregorio to leave for a set period of time, as determined by the ICE officer, and under the conditions determined by the ICE officer, to leave detention for a set period of time, donate his kidney," said Peter Meinecke, an attorney representing Gregorio Gonzalez. "And then at that point, ICE could choose to detain him again, and they could send him back to Venezuela."
ICE already denied one request, but the humanitarian parole application is still active.
"They say that they were only gonna go after criminals, but literally, the person they have detained right now is not a criminal," said State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D-Chicago). "And look what's happening right now….The Republicans love to say they're the party of life, but we have this life on the line, and what is the Trump administration doing? What is ICE doing?"
Gregorio Gonzalez can apply for asylum. His case was denied last year.
Pacheco's family said he cannot wait much longer.