CHICAGO — José Gregorio González was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 21, 2026, during a routine check-in appointment in Chicago. The Venezuelan national had previously been released from federal custody to facilitate a life-saving kidney donation to his brother.

González is currently held at the Greene County facility in Missouri. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that José Gregorio González will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings to Venezuela.

The detention marks the latest development in a four-year sequence of legal and medical events involving the brothers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a United States federal law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the country's interior.

González was released from ICE custody on April 4, 2025, to facilitate the kidney donation. His humanitarian parole allowed him to remain in the United States temporarily for the specific purpose of the medical procedure.

The kidney transplant surgery took place on August 14, 2025, at University of Illinois Hospital. José Gregorio González donated a kidney to his brother, José Alfredo Pacheco, in August 2025.

Pacheco required four-hour dialysis sessions three times a week prior to the transplant. He was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease in December 2023, a condition that necessitated the urgent search for a donor.

I had faith he was my only hope to keep living, José Alfredo Pacheco stated regarding his brother's willingness to donate. The surgery provided a potential reprieve from the rigorous dialysis schedule that had defined his daily life.

Since the transplant, Pacheco has experienced multiple complications and hospitalizations. He experienced a severe blood infection in January that required hospitalization, reflecting the ongoing fragility of his health status.

"Life has been a painful struggle since arriving in the Chicago area," Pacheco stated. His brother's detention removes his primary support system during this period of post-operative recovery and medical instability.

González first attempted to enter the U.S. in June 2023 but was arrested by Border Patrol and removed from the country. He re-entered the United States in January 2024, an action a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated was illegal.

The spokesperson also stated that José Gregorio González overstayed his parole in violation of U.S. laws. González did not pass an initial credible fear interview for asylum, resulting in a deportation order prior to his release for the surgery.

José Alfredo Pacheco applied for asylum in July 2022. He stated he fled Venezuela due to violence and political turmoil related to his service in the armed forces.

González's humanitarian parole expired in March 2026. Following the expiration, he was placed in an intensive supervision program with an ankle monitor.

González reported to ICE on a weekly basis, sometimes more than once, starting in April 2026. This compliance continued until his detention during the July check-in appointment.

Peter Meinecke is the attorney representing José Gregorio González and the managing attorney at Resurrection Project. Meinecke filed a request to temporarily stop the enforcement of the deportation order against José Gregorio González before his humanitarian parole expired.

Meinecke intends to request another humanitarian parole for González's release from detention. The legal team is working to halt the removal proceedings while seeking renewed permission for González to remain in the country.

González told his brother via phone call from detention that he is willing to fight his deportation. He has expressed strong reluctance to return to confinement following his previous release.

I never want to go through being in a detention facility again, José Gregorio González stated in a previous interview. The current detention places him back in the environment he sought to avoid after facilitating his brother's surgery.

The case shows the intersection of humanitarian medical needs and strict immigration enforcement protocols. González was granted temporary release specifically for a surgical procedure, yet his status reverted to deportable once the parole period ended.

Research titled Dignity in Detention: Addressing Gynecological Healthcare Needs Dignity in Detention: Addressing Gynecological Healthcare Needs of People Detained by U.S. Immigration Authorities o was published in 2025 in SSRN Electronic Journal. This academic work examines healthcare access for detained individuals, providing context for concerns about medical continuity in custody.

The events described span 4 years, from 2022 to 2026. The timeline illustrates the prolonged legal uncertainty faced by the brothers as they navigated asylum claims, medical crises, and temporary humanitarian relief.

Why It Matters

The detention removes the primary support system for a transplant recipient who has faced multiple post-operative complications and hospitalizations. This development tests the limits of humanitarian parole when medical necessity conflicts with prior deportation orders and alleged immigration violations. The case sets a precedent for how federal authorities balance enforcement protocols against the ongoing health stability of U.S.-based patients relying on family caregivers.