Chinese Pastor Ezra Jin Freed After Trump Raised His Case With Xi Jinping

Pastor Jin "Ezra" Mingri landed in Los Angeles on July 4, 2026, reuniting with his family after nine months in Chinese custody. Chinese authorities had detained him in October 2025 alongside more than 17 other church leaders, charging the group with "illegally using information networks," an offense that carries up to three years in prison.

The release followed direct diplomatic intervention. During his return flight from Beijing in May 2026, President Trump told reporters he had raised Jin's case with President Xi, who agreed to "strongly consider" freeing the pastor. The rights group ChinaAid confirmed that Chinese officials told Jin his release was a goodwill gesture tied to U.S. Independence Day.

Jin founded the Zion Church in Beijing in 2007. At its peak, it was one of China's largest unregistered congregations. Authorities officially banned the church in 2018, but it continued operating through livestreamed services, reaching followers across 40 cities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Family members who met Jin at the airport said he had lost significant weight and showed signs of physical strain, though he remained in good spirits. His wife and children had been living in the United States since 2018 after travel bans separated the family.

Rights advocates welcomed the news but noted that at least eight other Zion Church leaders and staff members remain detained in China. Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch called for their immediate release, saying the diplomatic goodwill that freed Jin should extend to all those still held.

The case drew attention from religious freedom organizations across the United States, who had lobbied the Trump administration for months to press Beijing on Jin's behalf. His release marks one of the most high-profile outcomes of direct presidential intervention on behalf of a detained Christian leader in China.