Jin Mingri, also known as Ezra Jin, the leader of a prominent underground Christian church in China, has been released from prison and deported to the United States, where he was reunited with his family in Los Angeles. His release follows a June meeting in Beijing between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which Trump reportedly raised Jin’s case.

Jin, 57, founded the Zion Church in Beijing in 2007 after previously serving as a priest in China’s state-sanctioned Protestant church. Zion Church operates outside the formally recognized churches controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. The church was banned in 2018, prompting Jin to move his family to the United States, though he later returned to China and was subjected to a travel ban.

In October, Jin and 17 other leaders of Zion Church were detained during one of the largest crackdowns on an unapproved religious group in recent years. Chinese authorities accused them of “illegal use of internet information” after they continued holding services online. The arrests and demolition of unapproved church buildings stirred concerns among rights advocates about an intensifying government crackdown on religious freedom.

Jin’s family and US-based supporters, who had campaigned for his release globally, welcomed his return. A family statement called the swift release a hopeful sign for people of faith in China and expressed optimism about improving US-China relations.

The Chinese government has not officially commented on the reasons for Jin’s release or whether it was related to broader diplomatic considerations, such as the upcoming 250th anniversary of US independence. There has been no indication that clemency will be extended to other detained pro-democracy figures, including Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong-based newspaper proprietor sentenced for sedition. This contrast highlights the Chinese government’s differing approaches toward underground religious groups compared with political dissidents.

Human rights organizations noted that despite Jin’s release, other Zion Church leaders remain in detention. The ongoing arrests and government control over religious groups continue to be a source of international concern, with advocates warning that constraints on religious expression and pro-democracy activism persist in China.