Daughter of Detained Chinese Pastor Hopes Trump Will Raise Father's Case with Xi

The daughter of a detained Chinese pastor said she has new hope after learning that President Donald Trump may raise her father's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Grace Jin Drexel told Fox News Sunday that the prospect has brought tremendous joy and hope her family has lacked since his detention. She said she received information that Trump is expected to mention her father, Ezra Jin Mingri, by name at a summit with Xi.

"It's been several months now, we're just so excited, so grateful for the president," she added.

Jin is among dozens of religious leaders from Zion Church detained in China as authorities increase pressure on underground Christian groups. Family members said their ability to track his condition has worsened after lawyers for the detainees faced official pressure: some were disbarred, detained or forced off the case.

The family knows Jin has been unable to get medications prescribed for his conditions. "And we know prison conditions... they are horrible, so we know that we're extremely concerned about his health," Drexel said.

"He has severe type 2 diabetes and without proper medication, there can be tremendous potential risk to his health even further, so we would love for him to be able to be released as soon as possible."

The family expects Trump to mention Jin's name at a minimum. Grace's husband, Bill Drexel, said, "[Mentioning his name] alone is a major victory, but our real hope is for a miracle, and that miracle would be his release, unconditionally, that he could come to the United States, be reunited with his American family."

"When his young sons last saw him, they were in elementary and middle school. They're now in college and headed to college, so we were really hoping that he's able to make it out."