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Trump pledges to raise detained pastor’s case with Xi Jinping during Beijing visit as family pleads for help
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Five weeks before the birth of her third child, Grace Drexel sat in Washington speaking about her father, the grandfather her children barely know, and the hope that President Donald Trump might help bring him home.
Her father, Pastor Ezra Jin, has spent the past seven months detained in China alongside dozens of other Christian leaders in what advocates describe as one of the largest crackdowns on an underground Protestant church in recent years.
Now, as Trump visits Beijing for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Drexel says her family is clinging to a rare moment of hope after Trump publicly pledged to raise Pastor Jin’s imprisonment directly with Xi.
PRESIDENT TRUMP MUST PUT AMERICAN HOSTAGES FIRST IN HIGH-STAKES BEIJING SUMMIT
Ezra Jin Mingri, head pastor of the Zion Church, poses in Beijing on Sept. 12, 2018, days after officials shut down one of China’s largest underground Protestant churches. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images)
«I’ll bring it up,» Trump told a reporter when asked whether he planned to discuss the detained pastor during the trip.
«It’s such a tremendous honor,» Drexel told Fox News Digital. «To have one of the most powerful men in the world know my father by name and mention his case to General Secretary Xi Jinping.»
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital, «There is no greater champion for religious freedom around the world than President Trump.»
For Drexel, this could end years of suffering. Her family has been separated for almost a decade — her mother and younger brothers fled China in 2018 after authorities shut down Zion Church’s physical sanctuary in Beijing, fearing they could become collateral targets in the growing crackdown on Christians.
Pastor Jin chose to stay behind with his community.
«My father actually had many opportunities to apply for a green card,» Drexel said. «He felt the calling for China.»
Drexel herself has not seen her father in person since 2020.
CHINA FORMALLY ARRESTS 18 LEADERS OF UNDERGROUND ZION CHURCH AMID RELIGIOUS CRACKDOWN
Ezra Jin with his daughter, Grace Drexel, before Chinese authorities detained the pastor during a crackdown on independent Christian churches. (Family photo) (Fox News)
Now pregnant with her third child, she says all she wants is for her father to finally reunite with his family.
«We would really, really love for our children to also experience and learn from their Grandpa,» she said.
Drexel described her father not as a political dissident, but as a pastor whose only mission was to remain faithful to Christianity outside Communist Party control.
«My father is a pastor in China and like Christians everywhere, he believed that the church should only have one God and serve one God,» she told Fox News Digital.
She described Zion Church as independent from government oversight and deeply rooted in Scripture and community service.
REPORT DETAILS RISING PRESSURE ON UNDERGROUND CATHOLICS AS CHINA DENIES CRACKDOWN
U.S. President Donald Trump reviews an honor guard with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. President Trump is meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing to address the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, and the Taiwan situation while establishing new bilateral boards for economic and AI oversight. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
«We helped with the society and the community around us, love our neighbors, and to love God,» she said.
But beyond the role of pastor, Drexel says she simply knew her father as a gentle man devoted to those around him.
«Ultimately, I know my father as just a very gentle and kind man,» she said. «He is not very confrontational generally. He just loved everyone around him.»
«He never even criticized anyone, including his children, much as we were growing up,» she added.
Drexel tearfully said that relatives learned that her father had been handcuffed, his head shaved, and that he was struggling to receive medication while in detention.
«And this kind and gentle man is now in prison,» she said. «All because he was just leading a church.»
The crackdown against Zion Church began years before Pastor Jin’s arrest.
According to Drexel, the pressure intensified around 2016 and 2017 after Xi Jinping rewrote China’s religious regulations and formally advanced the policy known as the «Sinicization» of religion, an effort critics say forces religious groups to align with Communist Party ideology.
Around that time, Zion Church became one of many churches targeted by the authorities.
Initially, Drexel says government officials demanded the church install facial-recognition cameras inside the sanctuary to monitor worshipers.
TRUMP CHAMPIONS JESUS’ ‘MIRACULOUS RESURRECTION’ IN PALM SUNDAY MESSAGE VOWING TO ‘DEFEND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH’
Ezra Jin leads a service at Zion Church in China before authorities shut down the independent congregation amid a broader crackdown on Christian churches. (Family photo)
«We told them all our services are public. You can come and view anytime,» she said. «But we didn’t feel that we wanted to put an extra amount of surveillance or control on our congregation.»
After the church refused, Drexel says authorities installed surveillance cameras in the building’s lobby instead and began systematically targeting church members.
«Each and every member who came on Sunday [was] being harassed,» she said. Some worshipers lost jobs, others were forced out of apartments, while some families were threatened through their children’s education and even their parents’ retirement benefits.
«It was all possible under the Chinese Communist Party if they wanted you to stop doing something,» she said.
Authorities eventually confiscated the church’s property and shut down its physical worship space. Pastor Jin then moved services online and into smaller home gatherings, which led authorities to later accuse church leaders of the «illegal use of information networks» because of those online and decentralized worship activities.
But she says her father’s case is only one piece of a much larger crackdown unfolding across China.
CRUZ LEADS SENATE PUSH TO HOLD CHINA ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEIJING CHURCH CRACKDOWN
The family of Ezra Jin, whose daughter Grace Drexel says they have been separated from him for years amid China’s crackdown on independent Christian churches. (Family photo)
«There are so many pastors and church leaders and churches being persecuted in China actively today,» she added. «We know that there are hundreds of pastors that are currently in prison or are in detention.»
«This is a very critical period in China,» Drexel said. «And it’s very disheartening and very scary for many Christians in China.»
The broader persecution campaign against Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners is also documented in «China’s War on Faith,» the recently released book by former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback.
Brownback profiles believers imprisoned, tortured, and surveilled for practicing religion outside state-approved institutions and argues that the Chinese Communist Party increasingly sees independent faith itself as a threat to Party authority.
For Drexel, Trump’s decision to publicly mention her father’s name represents more than diplomacy.
«We hope that as the two leaders are meeting together that they will both have a softening of the hearts and will release my father and allow him to come to the U.S.,» she said.
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In this photo taken Aug. 4, 2018, Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri leads a class on the basics of Christian beliefs at the Zion Church in Beijing, China. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said the Chinese government protects «freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law» and argued that people of all ethnic groups in China enjoy religious freedom. Liu pointed to official figures showing nearly 200 million religious believers in China, along with more than 380,000 clerical personnel, approximately 5,500 religious groups and more than 140,000 registered places of worship.
Liu said Beijing regulates religious affairs involving «national interests and the public interest» while opposing what it describes as illegal or criminal activities carried out under the guise of religion. He also accused foreign countries and media outlets of interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of religious freedom and urged journalists to «respect the facts» and stop what he described as «attacking and smearing» China’s religious policies and religious freedom record.
donald trump, xi jinping, christianity religion, persecutions, china
INTERNACIONAL
Jeffries declines to back Wasserman Schultz as Black leaders revolt over district switch
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Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., is facing mounting backlash from some Black leaders over her decision to seek re-election in a majority-minority district, a move that appears to be costing her support from the highest-ranking Black Democrat in Congress.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., declined to endorse Wasserman Schultz’s re-election bid Tuesday after she entered the race for the plurality-Black district, where she faces four Black opponents in the Aug. 18 primary.
«Haven’t made a decision, as it relates to that particular race,» the lead Democrat said at a news conference when asked if he supports Wasserman Schultz’s run for the Fort Lauderdale-based seat.
Jeffries said he’s spoken to Wasserman Schultz, a member of his leadership team, about the race, but stopped short of offering his support.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, accompanied by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, speaks at a Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: DEMOCRATS SAY THEY CAN STILL FLIP THE HOUSE DESPITE GOP REDISTRICTING GAINS IN THE SOUTH
«Everybody has a right to run where they see fit. They’ve got to make their case to the people that they hope to represent moving forward,» he said.
«I think we all recognize the sensitivities of the moment in terms of an unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on Black political representation that has been unleashed by the Supreme Court’s outrageous decision to gut the Voting Rights Act,» he added, invoking the court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which curbed the use of race in the drawing of electoral districts and spurred redistricting in several Republican-led states affecting majority-minority districts represented by Black Democrats.
«And it’s an environment that all of us need to be sensitive to as we move forward,» he said.
Jeffries’ comments come as Wasserman Schultz seeks to weather fierce criticism from some local Black leaders over her decision to run in the district. The seat has been represented by a Black lawmaker for more than three decades.
Elijah Manley, a progressive Gen-Z activist running in the Democratic primary, slammed Wasserman Schultz in a statement posted to social media.
«First, she said the CBC [Congressional Black Caucus] encouraged her to run. The CBC Chair said they did not,» Manley wrote. «Then she went on TV and said that Leader Jeffries was supporting her. Jeffries just declined to endorse her.»
«It is not a good day to be named Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida’s 20th District,» he continued.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., declined to endorse Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s re-election campaign on Tuesday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Wasserman Schultz, however, will likely have a significant fundraising advantage over her primary opponents. Her campaign account has more than $2.5 million in the bank, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings.
Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., previously occupied the solidly blue seat before she resigned amid an expulsion threat and House Ethics Committee investigation earlier this year. Cherfilus-McCormick is running again for the seat despite facing a pending criminal trial tied to allegedly stealing more than $5 million in disaster relief funds, among other charges.
Former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness and musician Luther Campbell are also vying for the Democratic nomination.
Florida Republicans carved up Wasserman Schultz’s safe Democratic seat as part of a new GOP-friendly congressional map signed into law in May.
Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., is running against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Democratic primary contest, despite facing a pending criminal trial that could result in more than half a century in prison if convicted. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
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Wasserman Schultz previously served as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, during which her tenure was rocked by the release of internal emails disparaging Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. She first won election to the House in 2004.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Wasserman Schultz campaign before publication.
politics, primary results, republicans elections, democrats, democrats senate
INTERNACIONAL
Israeli official says EU sanctions reveal antisemitism hiding behind ‘socially acceptable mask’
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Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister accused the European Union of weaponizing a «socially acceptable mask» of anti-Zionism to target Israel— after it sanctioned Israeli civil society groups that oppose a Palestinian state. It also sanctioned several individuals.
«We are witnessing a deeply troubling trend where traditional antisemitism has simply put on a new, socially acceptable mask: anti-Zionism,» Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told Fox News Digital. «Where prejudice once targeted the individual Jew, it is now directed at the collective Jewish state and our fundamental right to live in our ancestral homeland. But make no mistake, the political targeting of Israel always bleeds into an assault on Jewish life itself,» Haskel added.
The European Union imposed the sanctions on four Israeli civil society organizations and three of their senior figures, alleging support for «settler violence» and claiming they undermine prospects for a Palestinian state — a move that Regavim, one of the groups targeted, described as an infringement on Israeli sovereignty.
LEADING EVANGELICALS IN PUSH TO HAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP RECOGNIZE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER ‘BIBLICAL HEARTLAND’
European Union-sponsored structures in Area C on the West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria.
«Our entire activity consists of legal and parliamentary work. We collect and analyze information and policies and go to court and the legislature to highlight areas where Israel’s policy is either lacking or misguided,» Naomi Kahn, Regavim’s Director of International Division, told Fox News Digital.
«The European Union is trying to control the internal political system and policies of an independent state that is supposed to be an ally. When we point out the absurdity of the situation, they don’t like it,» she said.
In its announcement, the European External Action Service (EEAS) stated that «extremist settlers and the organizations supporting them contribute directly to violence, forced displacement and dispossession across the West Bank.»
European Union flags blow in the wind outside the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France, on Nov. 27, 2019. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
The sanctions, according to the EEAS, «target entities and individuals that facilitate, finance or support activities contributing to settler violence and serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.»
The statement also accused Regavim of lobbying for «the demolition of Palestinian property» and referenced an EU-funded school in Jabbet al-Dhib near Bethlehem.
‘SQUAD’ MEMBERS ‘DECIDE TO LIE AND TWIST FACTS’ ABOUT ISRAEL’S HISTORY, SAYS PROMINENT ARAB ACTIVIST
Israeli lawmakers condemned a leaked EU document they say reveals illegal EU funding for a Palestinian state, citing construction of an unauthorized school in Area C, which they say violates the Oslo Accords. (Regavim)
Kahn said the school was constructed illegally on Israeli state land in Area C, within a nature reserve connected to the Herodian complex. She said legal proceedings were carried out regarding the structure and that it was ultimately demolished.
Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, negotiated during the Clinton administration, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under Palestinian civil authority with Israeli security control; and Area C, under full Israeli administrative and security control.
Kahn added that an engineering assessment found the school unsafe for use, arguing that placing students and teachers inside it posed «downright dangerous» conditions.
A view of the West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria, a region discussed by evangelical Christian leaders urging the Trump administration to recognize Israel’s claim to the area. (TPS)
«We pointed out that the E.U. and the Palestinian Authority are simply violating the law in a very purposeful, systematic way to take control of Area C using structures like schools, sometimes mosques, and homes of innocent people that they push into those areas,» she added.
Regavim has published a report claiming there are 100 illegal schools in Area C that it says are being used by the P.A. as part of a broader strategy of de facto annexation.
Separately, a 2023 mapping study by Regavim estimated that roughly 103,000 unauthorized Arab-built structures exist across the West Bank, asserting that the P.A.—often with external support — has facilitated extensive illegal construction activity.
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The West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria, is home to some 500,000 Israelis. (Mahmoud Illean/AP)
In response, Israel’s cabinet last month approved a set of broad measures aimed at countering efforts by the P.A. to establish de facto control over disputed territories.
Under the resolution, initiatives attributed to Ramallah to create a parallel land registry in Area C were declared to have no legal validity or standing.
«The real target here is not violence, but legitimate political opposition. The sanctioned organizations do not support violent action; rather, they have consistently challenged the concept of a two-state solution and exposed how the EU actively builds illegal structures in Judea and Samaria,» Haskel said, referring to the biblical names of the territories.»
She accused the EU of disregarding the Oslo Accords and «attempting to unilaterally alter facts on the ground to steal Israeli land.»
Sharren Haskel, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Israel accused the EU of disregarding the Oslo Accords and «attempting to unilaterally alter facts on the ground to steal Israeli land.» (@Sharren Haskel via X)
Haskel acknowledged there was an issue, as in any society, with some individuals who break the law, but emphasized they represent a small minority and that Israel investigates and prosecutes them. She said grouping hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Israeli residents in the West Bank together with Hamas — a genocidal terror organization responsible for mass murder — distorts moral distinctions.
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She said, «This creates a false and dangerous symmetry that minimizes the exceptional threat of global terrorism while politically targeting individual Israelis. It is an unacceptable moral equivalence that blurs the line between a sovereign democracy defending its people and the savage terror apparatus trying to destroy it.»
Following several requests for comment, European External Action Service (EEAS) referred Fox News Digitial to its original sanctions statement.
anti semitism, israel, the european union, middle east, terrorism
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