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Venezuelan Immigrant Detained by ICE Faces Deportation, Blocking Lifesaving Kidney Donation

José Gregorio González, held in Indiana, is awaiting a humanitarian parole decision as his brother battles critical kidney failure.

Alfredo Pacheco, a Venezuelan migrant who earlier this year was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure, displays a photo of himself and his brother Jose Gregorio Gonzalez, March 26, 2025, in Cicero, Illinois. Gonzalez, also a migrant from Venezuela, was set to donate a kidney for his brother but was arrested and now detained by ICE.

Overview

  • José Gregorio González, detained by ICE since March 3, 2025, is at risk of deportation to Venezuela, jeopardizing his ability to donate a kidney to his critically ill brother, José Alfredo Pacheco.
  • Doctors warn that without a kidney transplant, Pacheco faces a high risk of mortality, with a 4-5 year wait for a cadaver donor being his only alternative.
  • González, who has no criminal record and was under ICE supervision, had been caring for his brother and preparing for the transplant before his detention.
  • Community members, activists, and elected officials are advocating for González's release on humanitarian parole to proceed with the donation, emphasizing the ethical and humanitarian stakes.
  • A stay of removal petition for González has been denied, but his humanitarian parole application remains under review as deportation to Venezuela looms.