Venezuelan Man Detained Again After Coming to the U.S. to Donate Kidney to His Brother
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
José Gregorio Pacheco, a Venezuelan man who came to the United States to donate a kidney to his brother and save his life, was detained again by immigration agents and remains in custody while facing deportation proceedings. The detention occurred on July 21, when he left a supervision appointment at the immigration office in downtown Chicago. Minutes later, he texted his brother, José Alfredo Pacheco, saying, 'Brother, I love you... They are going to deport me.' José Alfredo Pacheco expressed hope that his brother would regain his freedom, stating, 'Well... sad... of course, sad... but with faith that he will get out.' José Gregorio, originally from Venezuela, arrived in the U.S. in 2024 to donate a kidney to his brother Alfredo, who was suffering from end-stage renal disease. His story touched the Chicago community. In March 2025, he was detained by immigration. A month later, after efforts from his lawyers at The Resurrection Project and community support, he obtained temporary humanitarian parole to continue with the donation process. The transplant was successfully performed, giving Alfredo a second chance at life. Since then, José Gregorio had been under electronic monitoring and, according to his lawyer, was complying with all scheduled appointments with the immigration agency. 'My brother is a good person. All he has done is help me, give me a chance at life with the kidney he gave me,' said José Alfredo Pacheco.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
