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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
America’s 250th celebration in nation’s capital boosted by iconic automaker’s 2-week tribute to innovation
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WASHINGTON, DC – As dozens of travelers arrived at Union Station Wednesday morning, many stopped to photograph historic Ford Motor Co. cars, trucks, tractors and artifacts celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the automaker’s role in shaping the nation.
For two weeks, Ford is hosting «Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience at Union Station,» a free public exhibit showcasing vehicles and artifacts from the Ford Heritage Vault in Dearborn that trace the company’s legacy, from the Model T, the iconic mass-produced car, to a 1934 Ford pickup on loan from legendary late-night host Jay Leno.
The exhibit, part of Ford’s marquee America 250 celebrations, features 10 vehicles displayed behind museum-quality glass, including a 1941 Ford GP prototype that helped lead to the military Jeep, a 1951 Ford 8N tractor, a 1954 F-100 from Virginia’s Red Truck Bakery and a 2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One car. Visitors can also create a free postcard at an interactive photo station and shop for Ford merchandise.
«America’s celebrating its 250th anniversary,» Ted Ryan, Ford’s archives and heritage brand manager, told Fox News Digital. «We’ve been here for almost half of that journey, and we’ve had such a material impact on America.»
HISTORIC BIG BOY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE DRAWS CROWDS AS AMERICA 250 TOUR HEADS EAST
Historic Ford vehicles are on display at «Driving America Forward: A Ford Experience,» a free exhibit at Union Station in Washington, D.C., celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. (Fox News Digital/Kiera McDonald)
«Whether it’s industrializing, building the moving assembly line, mass transportation with the Model T, the best-selling car in the world for a number of years, or even the tractor that transformed farming. Ford has been there.»
Ryan said the exhibit was designed to turn heads and reveal surprising stories about the company’s influence on American industry, transportation and pop culture over the past 123 years.
«I was challenged to create an exhibit that would stop people in their tracks to take pictures or learn new facts about the Ford Motor Company,» he said. «So we have 10 amazing vehicles that go throughout our entire 124-year history… These are cars that are stopping people in their tracks, and then the exhibit cases are full of material that will tell people stories they don’t expect to hear.»
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The free exhibit is open daily through July 14 at Union Station in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital/Kiera McDonald)
In a news release, Ryan said Union Station was a fitting location because it has «a particular kind of magic.»
«For more than a century, it has served as the front door to the nation’s capital, a place where presidents have arrived to be inaugurated, where soldiers have shipped off to war, and where ordinary Americans, by the millions, have stepped off a train and into the heart of their democracy,» he wrote.
But Ryan said Ford’s contributions to America go far beyond building cars.
«Ford built Mission Control at Johnson Space Center,» he said. «We developed tracking beams for airplanes. Ford invented the mail sorter. Hopefully we’re teaching people about the critical role that Ford has played in America during half of its 250 years.»
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The exhibit highlights Ford’s 124-year legacy and its impact on American transportation and innovation. (Fox News Digital/Kiera McDonald)
Ryan said the vehicles are meant to spark memories for visitors, whether they remind someone of their first car, a family road trip or a vehicle passed down through generations.
«I hope people take wonderful photos of cars that remind them of vehicles Ford has produced that they fell in love with, and that they’ll leave with information they didn’t know ahead of time,» he said.
Through wars, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan said Ford has consistently stepped up to support the country through its «Answering the Call» initiative, which highlights the company’s long history of helping the nation during times of need.
«Ford is always there and always will be there to answer the call whenever America or our local communities need us,» he said.
As visitors walk through the exhibit, Ryan hopes they leave with a deeper appreciation for Ford.
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«America’s turning 250, and it’s a great time to celebrate,» he said. «Ford has been here for half of it, and we’re doing our best to tell our story and the role we’ve played in America.»
The exhibit is open daily through July 14, with no tickets or registration required.
politics, museums exhibits, america 250, american innovation, ford
INTERNACIONAL
El papa comienza sus vacaciones en Castel Gandolfo, tras mostrar firmeza en la escena internacional y en la interna de la Iglesia
Las bandas criminales han comenzado a utilizar las escuelas y colegios como lugares para captar a menores de edad en redes de explotación sexual comercial, según lo revela el Informe Explotación sexual comercial de niños, niñas y adolescentes (ESCNNA) publicado este año. El documento, elaborado por el Programa Interdisciplinario de Estudios y Acción Social de los Derechos de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Pridena) de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) y el Instituto de Estudios Interdisciplinarios de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Ineina) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), describe cómo los entornos educativos en Puntarenas, Corredores y Garabito han sido utilizados para el reclutamiento de víctimas.
La investigación, que fue citada por CR Hoy en su cobertura, identifica que la problemática se agrava por la exclusión social, la pobreza, la desmotivación estudiantil, la falta de oportunidades y la presencia del narcotráfico. Todos estos factores han creado un ambiente donde los menores de edad resultan vulnerables ante las redes de explotación sexual.
Según el informe, los centros educativos cumplen una doble función. Por un lado, se presentan como espacios de protección institucional para los estudiantes. Por otro, pueden convertirse en escenarios donde operan redes de explotación sexual comercial. Dentro de las escuelas y colegios, algunos menores de edad, que ya se encuentran vinculados a grupos criminales, buscan reclutar a sus propios compañeros para integrarlos en estas redes.
Entre las formas de captación identificadas, destaca que el primer contacto con las víctimas puede producirse dentro de los mismos centros educativos. Los grupos criminales utilizan a estudiantes para acercarse a otros alumnos y convencerlos de integrarse a la red con promesas de protección y beneficios económicos. Además, el informe advierte que las redes sociales juegan un papel importante, ya que son empleadas para captar víctimas y para promover la cosificación y sexualización del cuerpo femenino.
El estudio también señala la falta de una estadística específica en Costa Rica sobre procesos judiciales relacionados con la explotación sexual comercial de personas menores de edad. Aunque existen delitos vinculados, la carencia de datos dificulta dimensionar la magnitud del problema. Como referencia, el Ministerio Público reportó durante 2025 un total de 3,203 casos por el delito de relaciones sexuales con personas menores de edad.
En cuanto a la respuesta institucional, la investigación indica que las fiscalías especializadas han dirigido sus esfuerzos en el endurecimiento de las penas, sin avanzar en igual medida en la prevención. El informe resalta la necesidad de fortalecer las acciones preventivas a través de una mayor inversión social y la creación de un programa nacional de prevención de la explotación sexual.
Ante la consulta sobre las acciones del Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI), la institución reconoció que enfrenta importantes desafíos para garantizar los derechos de las personas menores de edad, especialmente de las víctimas. El PANI destacó que la complejidad del fenómeno y de los delitos asociados exige la articulación de procesos integrales, interinstitucionales e intersectoriales.
El análisis desarrollado por Pridena y Ineina se basó en información aportada por diferentes instituciones públicas, entre ellas el PANI, y en relatos de familias afectadas. El informe incluye el caso de una madre que detalló cómo su hija fue contactada indirectamente por un grupo criminal a través de otra estudiante del colegio. Esta situación evidencia el nivel de vulnerabilidad al que están expuestos los menores de edad en los entornos educativos.
La investigación concluye que la presencia del narcotráfico, la violencia y las brechas sociales han facilitado la operación de redes de explotación sexual comercial que utilizan estrategias de captación cada vez más sofisticadas. El fenómeno afecta tanto a las víctimas como a las instituciones encargadas de su protección, que reconocen la necesidad de respuestas más amplias y coordinadas para hacer frente a esta problemática.
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