INTERNACIONAL
Americans travel to Pakistan to free Christians trapped in modern-day slavery: ‘God’s hand was in it’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Idaho resident Aaron Hutchings arrived at a Pakistani brick factory in January. The devout Christian told Fox News Digital that he was shocked to see children turning bricks under the hot sun to work off the debts that their families had incurred, sometimes over the course of generations.
Within hours of his arrival, Hutchings paid off the debts for two enslaved Christian families and escorted them to freedom, breaking the «curse that they’ve had for hundreds of years.»
There are up to one million Christians working in slave and bonded labor in Pakistan, according to Emma Hall, a persecution researcher working with charity Open Doors U.K. and Ireland, told Fox News Digital. This could comprise as much as 30% of Pakistani Christians, counted at 3.3 million in the 2023 census and accounting for 1.37 percent of the population.
WATCHDOG HIGHLIGHTS NATIONS WHERE CHRISTIANS FACE PERSECUTION AROUND THE GLOBE
After paying the debts of a family of Pakistani Christians, Aaron Hutchings embraces newly-freed brick laborers. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings)
Hall noted that «extreme poverty drives desperate families to accept advance loans (peshgri) for emergency and basic needs, trapping them in cycles of debt bondage where repayment systems are structured in ways that make exit extremely difficult.»
Emmanuel Hernandez said he was shocked when he first heard that Christians in Pakistan were living in debt-based enslavement in Pakistan’s brick-making industry. After traveling to Pakistan to meet the woman who would later become his wife, Hernandez witnessed bonded laborers at a brick factory for the first time.
«Never in my life have I seen such hopelessness,» he told Fox News Digital. «At that moment, I committed myself to rescuing one family a year for the rest of my life.»
In January 2025, Hernandez started the nonprofit Project Jubilee. He says that it is «by the grace of God» that people have already donated enough through the nonprofit to save 300 Pakistanis from slavery.
GRAHAM FAMILY RESPONDS TO GLOBAL CRACKDOWN ON CHRISTIANS WITH $1.3M DEFENSE FUND AND URGENT CALL TO ACTION
Born into bonded labor in Pakistan, children must flip bricks in the hot sun outside of Lahore, Pakistan. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings. )
Though Project Jubilee will save any bonded slave, regardless of race or faith, Hernandez said that «98% of the people we rescue are Christians, and that’s because they’re second-class citizens» in their country.
The average cost to help one family is about $8,500, Hernandez said, because Project Jubilee recognizes that slaves needed more than debt relief to escape the cycle of bonded labor.
«Our goal is for them to succeed in life and make sure that they never go back,» he explained. To accomplish this, Hernandez and his team pay lawyers to take care of all applicable paperwork, and help each family with two months of rent and food. They also get families in touch with a local minister, pay for children to attend school and purchase every family a tuk tuk, a motorcycle taxi, which they can use to create income.
He said that in most cases, factory owners are grudgingly accepting of letting slaves go after their debts are paid off. But in some cases, he says owners have put a cap on the number of families Hernandez’s group can free in a month, or told them that they’re «never allowed to come back again.»
AFRICA’S CHRISTIAN CRISIS: HOW 2025’S DEADLY ATTACKS FINALLY DREW GLOBAL ATTENTION AFTER TRUMP’S INTERVENTION
A family of brickmakers speak with American Christian Aaron Hutchings before learning they will be freed from their debt. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings.)
Hutchings found Hernandez’s online profile in late 2025 and messaged him, asking to be part of his effort. Retired from the IT world, Hutchings said he is «just a normal guy who wanted to do something…to help people.»
After a short conversation over the phone, Hernandez invited Hutchings to come along to a trip to Pakistan in January. Hutchings agreed. It was during this visit that Hutchings freed two families and reported he «just got hooked.» He admits that the process is highly emotional. «It changes an entire family’s future for generations,» he explained.
Hutchings said that it is especially impactful to witness the change that freedom brings to children. «We get to ask them, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?» Hutchings said. «They probably haven’t even really thought about that. They’re [thinking] ‘I’m going to be a brick worker for the rest of my life, just like my parents.’»
Hutchings started his own nonprofit, Intentional Faith Foundation, which he now uses to collect donations from people who want to help free more slaves.
Christians demanded justice during a protest in Islamabad condemning attacks on churches in Pakistan on August 20, 2023. Pakistan is one of the top 10 worst countries for Christian persecution, according to a new report. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)
NIGERIA NAMED EPICENTER OF GLOBAL KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS OVER FAITH IN 2025, REPORT SAYS
Just months after his first journey, Hutchings returned to Pakistan in May to free an additional ten families. After video of his visit went viral, Hutchings said that his nonprofit raised enough funds to save another family from enslavement.
The practice of bonded slavery was outlawed formally in Pakistan in 1992, Hall says, but «enforcement remains weak.» Discrimination extends beyond the bonded labor environment, with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noting in 2025 that there were «recent and escalating attacks against religious minorities» in Pakistan, including Christians.
During his recent visit, Hutchings learned that securing housing was difficult, with many landlords refusing to rent to Christians. Eventually, a Pakistani Christian group working with families was able to find housing and jobs for parents, and located a teacher for the children who were largely illiterate.
After paying the debts of a family of Pakistani Christians, Aaron Hutchings embraces a newly-freed brick laborer. Courtesy of Aaron Hutchings. (Courtesy: Aaron Hutchings.)
In a 2023 report, Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights released a series of recommendations for diminishing the pain that bonded labor brings to approximately three million Pakistanis. In her introduction, the group’s chairperson stated, «It is deeply appalling that in the 21st century, slavery persists in the form of bonded labor.»
Among its recommendations are forbidding children from laboring in brick kilns, helping laborers access justice and creating unions for collective representation. They suggest registering all brick kilns, increasing the use of automated machinery, and encouraging brick purchasers to buy bricks from kilns «that provide a safe and decent working environment.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Representatives of the Pakistani government did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about the enforcement of laws against bonded labor, or about the treatment of Pakistani Christians. Neither Hutchings nor Hernandez reported having complications with the Pakistani government when working to free brick kiln laborers.
For Hutchings, the work has been transformative. «Looking back, it is hard to see any of it as random. I believe God’s hand was in it from the beginning, and even though we were doing all of this to show Jesus’ love towards these people, we ended up receiving more than we gave.»
pakistan, christianity religion, persecutions, human rights
INTERNACIONAL
La policía de Austin arresta a dos sospechosos por el asesinato de un mecánico nicaragüense
La Policía de Austin reportó la detención de dos hombres como presuntos responsables del asesinato de José Salgado Amador, un mecánico nicaragüense que falleció tras recibir un disparo durante un intento de robo en un estacionamiento de la ciudad.
La investigación por la muerte de José Salgado Amador, ocurrida el pasado 15 de junio en Austin, continúa bajo la supervisión de la Unidad de Homicidios del Departamento de Policía de Austin (APD). De acuerdo con la información divulgada por las autoridades y recogida por Univisión, Israel Medina, de 19 años, y David Pérez, de 26, fueron arrestados como sospechosos del crimen que sacudió a la comunidad nicaragüense en Texas.
Según informó Univisión, los hechos se registraron alrededor de las 22:47 horas en el estacionamiento de una tienda AutoZone situada en East Riverside Drive. Salgado Amador se encontraba realizando reparaciones mecánicas cuando uno de los agresores se le acercó y presuntamente intentó despojarlo de sus pertenencias. Tras el forcejeo, el sospechoso disparó contra la víctima y huyó del lugar antes de que llegaran los servicios de emergencia.
La policía de Austin detalló que Salgado Amador fue trasladado a un hospital cercano, donde falleció poco más de una hora después a causa de las heridas. El caso se convirtió en el homicidio número 27 registrado en la ciudad durante 2026, según los datos oficiales citados por Univisión.
De acuerdo con el reporte de las autoridades, Israel Medina enfrenta cargos de asesinato capital, una figura penal que en Texas contempla la posibilidad de pena de muerte o cadena perpetua sin libertad condicional. Medina se encontraba en libertad bajo fianza tras una acusación previa por robo de automóvil cuando ocurrió el homicidio. Por su parte, David Pérez está acusado de robo agravado.
El Departamento de Policía de Austin no ha confirmado si existen más personas vinculadas al caso ni ha proporcionado información adicional sobre el móvil del crimen, más allá del intento de robo señalado en las primeras diligencias. Las autoridades cuentan con grabaciones de cámaras de seguridad y han solicitado colaboración ciudadana para fortalecer la investigación.
La muerte de José Salgado Amador provocó conmoción entre quienes integran la comunidad nicaragüense en Texas. Según reportó Univisión, la familia del mecánico, que deja a una esposa y una hija de cuatro años, inició los trámites para la repatriación de sus restos a Nicaragua. El velatorio se programó para el 25 de junio en Austin, antes del traslado final al país de origen del fallecido. Univisión informó que los familiares esperan poder sepultarlo junto a sus padres y allegados en su ciudad natal.
La comunidad nicaragüense en Estados Unidos alcanza unas 839,600 personas, una cifra que integra tanto a residentes de larga data como a migrantes que han arribado en los últimos años por distintas vías, incluyendo programas migratorios y rutas irregulares. La distribución geográfica de esta población muestra una concentración destacada en dos estados principales:
Florida representa el principal destino para los nicaragüenses en el país. El área metropolitana de Miami y, en particular, la ciudad de Sweetwater —conocida popularmente como “Little Managua”— reúnen a una parte significativa de esta comunidad, que ha establecido una red social, cultural y económica sólida.
California acoge al segundo grupo más numeroso de nicaragüenses, con presencia relevante en ciudades como Los Ángeles, San Francisco, San Diego y San José. En estos centros urbanos, la población nicaragüense ha conformado comunidades activas, manteniendo tradiciones y vínculos con su país de origen.
El crecimiento reciente de la comunidad responde a factores migratorios y a la búsqueda de mejores oportunidades. Esta dinámica ha reforzado la presencia nicaragüense en el panorama migratorio de Estados Unidos, con un impacto notable en la vida social y económica de las regiones donde se asientan.
manos,esposas,prisión,barrotes,encarcelamiento,reclusión
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
He wasn’t on the ballot, but President Donald Trump was a winner in Louisiana’s GOP Senate runoff election.
That’s because Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow defeated state Treasurer John Fleming to capture the Republican nomination, The Associated Press reported on Saturday.
Six weeks after denying Trump-targeted GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy a third six-year term in the Senate, a majority of Republican voters in the solidly red Gulf Coast state backed Letlow. Her victory in the runoff is seen as another victory for Trump as he works to fill the halls of Congress with loyal lawmakers for his final two years in the White House. And it’s another sign of the power of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries.
Five years after he voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, Cassidy was sent packing.
WATCH: CASSIDY DETAILS NEW BEHIND CLOSED DOORS CLASH WITH TRUMP
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana fist bumps a supporter during a campaign stop at a gun retailer and firing range in Baton Rouge on May 15, 2026, the eve of the state’s Senate primary. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Letlow, who was backed by Trump even before she entered the race in January, finished first in the primary, double digits ahead of Fleming, with Cassidy in third place. Since no candidate cracked 50% of the vote, Letlow and Fleming advanced to the runoff for the Republican nomination and Cassidy became the first elected Republican senator to lose renomination since Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana in 2012.
Trump, celebrating Cassidy’s defeat, said on social media that «it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!»
Cassidy, in a speech to supporters after conceding, took a jab at Trump, saying, «When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. But you don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen… You don’t manufacture some excuse.»
President Donald Trump stands with Rep. Julia Letlow during the Congressional Ball at the White House Grand Foyer in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Letlow, who was backed by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a top Trump ally, won her congressional seat in 2021, after her husband, Luke Letlow, died five days before being sworn into the U.S. House after his 2020 election victory for the seat she now holds. She highlighted her support from Trump throughout her Senate campaign.
Fleming, who spent eight years in Congress before serving as a White House deputy chief of staff during Trump’s first term, argued he was the most conservative candidate in the GOP Senate primary.
DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB
Letlow will be considered the clear frontrunner in the midterm election against either farmer Jamie Davis or Navy veteran Gary Crockett, who are facing off in the Democratic Party runoff.
The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past two months, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, as well as the Louisiana primary.
But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped three weeks ago when his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.
Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
Zach Lahn raises his fist in celebration after defeating his primary opponent in Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial race on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Zach Lahn for Governor via Facebook)
The president rebounded three weeks ago in South Carolina, as Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pam Evette finished first in the GOP gubernatorial primary and longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham won a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.
Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.
Two weeks ago, Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in Georgia and Alabama, with the one setback coming against a billionaire businessman who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign.
Rep. Barry Moore, a House Freedom Caucus member and longtime Trump supporter who was endorsed by the president, comfortably defeated rival Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper who was supported by some top names on the right, in solidly red Alabama’s GOP Senate runoff.
In battleground Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff, an 11th-hour endorsement by Trump helped boost Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion, to victory over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.
TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT FAILS TO SAVE MAGA CANDIDATE AS BILLIONAIRE ADVANCES IN KEY GOVERNOR RACE
Collins will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the general election in a race that’s among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in the midterms.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
But in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial runoff, the candidate Trump backed, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was also endorsed by Kemp this past weekend, was defeated by billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who ran as an outsider.
On Tuesday, Trump-backed first-time candidate Anthony Constantino, a businessman and former boxer, defeated Robert Smullen, a retired Marine Corps colonel and New York Assembly member who had the backing of the state party, in the upstate New York race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Meanwhile, in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, Trump couldn’t lose.
That’s because, besides backing Evette, he also gave a last-minute endorsement to state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who ended up winning the showdown in a landslide.
donald trump, republicans elections, elections, midterm elections, senate elections, louisiana
INTERNACIONAL
El régimen de Venezuela sitió el acceso a La Guaira, la zona más golpeada por los terremotos
A poco más de 25 kilómetros de Caracas, La Guaira es el epicentro de la tragedia humanitaria, con el colapso de decenas de edificios y miles de desaparecidos tras los terremotos simultáneos. Concentra la mayor cantidad de ayudas tanto de los venezolanos como la extranjera, y terminó por flexibilizar a un estricto régimen.
Es una zona conocida por los caraqueños porque está al otro lado del cerro El Ávila y hay que atravesar la ruta con túneles para llegar a sus bonitas playas. También la conocen los turistas, porque es el mismo camino para ir al principal aeropuerto del país, Maiquetía, que quedó destruido.
A partir del impacto de los dos terremotos el miércoles a la tarde, muchos de sus edificios colapsaron por completo, en un día feriado y con muchas personas en sus casas.
La tragedia es tan grande que se cortaron todos los servicios públicos. Decenas de personas se acercaron a colaborar para rescatar a personas atrapadas, otros fueron a buscar noticias de sus familiares. Pero también hubo saqueos.
Diosdado Cabello, ministro de Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz de Venezuela -quien conserva el cargo tras la captura del dictador Nicolás Maduro por parte de Donald Trump en enero-, fue el encargado de anunciar restricciones en la zona.
Desde las 20 del viernes, remarcó que quienes quieran ir a La Guaira deberán registrarse en el Poliedro de Caracas donde, en caso de caso de ser habilitados, recibirán un QR o un chaleco, en el caso de los motorizados. «Las autoridades estarán tomando las decisiones a lo largo de la ruta, para evitar que personas que no tienen ningún tipo de tarea asignada en La Guaira puedan venir», añadió.
Argumentó que el exceso de personas que iba a colaborar generó problemas de circulación para las ambulancias y saturó las vías de evacuación. Y además, justificó la medida en una cuestión sanitaria.
Tras la comunicación oficial, cuarenta organizaciones no gubernamentales expresaron este sábado su profunda preocupación por la decisión de militarizar el estado La Guaira y exigieron que las operaciones de emergencia se desarrollen con estricto respeto a los derechos humanos.
Pero a la par de las restricciones, otra comunicación oficial sorprendió a los periodistas, en especial a los extranjeros.
El Ministerio de Comunicación e Información abrió una instancia para que la prensa pueda viajar de forma ordenada y autorizada a La Guaira.
«El Ministerio de Comunicación convoca a los profesionales del periodismo al proceso oficial de registro y acreditación para la cobertura informativa integral del sismo registrado el pasado 24 de junio», señala el comunicado.
«La labor de los comunicadores resulta fundamental para garantizar a la ciudadanía el acceso a información veraz, precisa y oportuna. Para facilitar el trabajo de los reporteros, fotógrafos y equipos técnicos, hemos dispuesto un espacio dedicado exclusivamente a la gestión de sus credenciales de acceso a las zonas habilitadas para la prensa y a los balances oficiales de las autoridades», remarcan.
En el punto de acreditación, personal muy amable saluda, le saca fotos a los pasaportes, a las credenciales de prensa. Pregunta el grupo sanguíneo, un teléfono de emergencia de contacto y pide el celular. Después de ese proceso, le colocan una pulsera a cada periodista e informan que habrá dos convoys diarios para ir a La Guaira.
En la conversación, personal del ministerio informó que hasta las 15 del sábado, se habían acreditado 327 periodistas extranjeros y 387 locales. Y ante la consulta de Clarín, aseguraron que se acreditó más prensa extranjera que para las polémicas elecciones presidenciales de 2024.
Para ese entonces, el proceso para obtener una visa de periodista era bastante engorroso. En la semana previa a la elección deportaron a decenas de periodistas que en el aeropuerto dijeron su profesión y señalaron que no tenían visa de periodista.
En enero de este año, unos 500 periodistas extranjeros esperaron durante días la visa de periodista para entrar a Venezuela desde Cúcuta, Colombia, tras la captura de Maduro por parte de Estados Unidos. Jamás respondieron ninguna solicitud.
La tragedia ambiental de La Guaira flexibilizó al régimen. Recibió ayuda de países con los que está enemistado. En los aviones, además de los rescatistas, máquinas, herramientas y personal, también viajaron periodistas. Ninguno tramitó la visa de trabajo para entrar y recibieron su pulsera para ir a La Guaira. Todo un cambio de actitud en el gobierno de Delcy Rodríguez
El sistema se implementó por primera vez el viernes y más de 300 periodistas estuvieron en La Guaira.
La policía de Austin arresta a dos sospechosos por el asesinato de un mecánico nicaragüense
Cómo fue el “punto de quiebre” de los Milei: un Adorni golpeado y las conversaciones para la transición
La renuncia de Adorni por “corrupción” es “el escándalo más perjudicial” contra el gobierno de Milei, según Financial Times
El particular caso de Giovani Lo Celso: debutó en un Mundial tras sus fallidas experiencias y marcó un gran gol de tiro libre para Argentina
Trump scores another endorsement win with Louisiana Senate runoff victory
Subastarán un terreno del Estado en una zona estratégica de Palermo: cuánto cuesta y dónde está ubicado
Desesperación y burocracia: Pacientes con cáncer denuncian esperas de más de 20 días en PAMI para recibir su medicación
Nuevos controles a las devoluciones de 30% por gastos en el exterior: cómo pedir el reembolso del dólar tarjeta ante ARCA
El CEO de Epic Games tiene claro por qué fracasan los nuevos juegos multijugador, y el culpable puedes ser tú y tus amigos
Far-left surge: Mamdani-backed candidates oust Dem establishment incumbents
INTERNACIONAL3 días agoLíderes mundiales ofrecieron ayuda humanitaria y equipos de rescate a Venezuela tras los devastadores terremotos
- POLITICA3 días ago
El Gobierno le ofreció asistencia humanitaria a Venezuela por los terremotos: «Acá no hay ideología que nos separe»
- POLITICA2 días ago
El oficialismo hizo caer la sesión del Senado para evitar la interpelación a Manuel Adorni
