Relatives of two Americans who have been held in Chinese prisons for more than a decade are making an urgent plea to President Donald Trump to raise their cases during his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The imprisoned Americans are Dawn Michelle Hunt, a 54-year-old artist and former flight attendant from the Chicago area, and Nelson Wells Jr., a 52-year-old Louisiana man and father of three children. Both were found guilty on narcotics charges following what their relatives describe as separate schemes where they were deceived into transporting drugs without their knowledge.
This summit presents an opportunity for Trump, who has positioned himself as a negotiator capable of bringing Americans home, to achieve a concrete victory by securing the freedom of two sick U.S. citizens. The meeting is anticipated to yield few major breakthroughs given ongoing disputes over trade policies, Iran, and Taiwan.
From China’s perspective, releasing the two Americans on humanitarian grounds would represent a relatively inexpensive way to generate positive relations with an unpredictable U.S. leader during a delicate period in bilateral ties.
“With President Trump meeting President Xi, our two families are writing letters – we’re asking, ‘Can you please ask for the release of our loved ones?’,” said Tim Hunt, Dawn Michelle’s older brother.
“Hopefully, we can get those letters delivered and read.”
Tim Hunt described his sister as an artistic “brainiac,” a highly intelligent person, and former flight attendant with a degree in fashion design who loved entering sweepstakes with her mother.
According to Hunt, Dawn Michelle was deceived into taking an international “prize” trip by fraudsters who, after she arrived in China, gave her handbags and a new suitcase that contained concealed drugs, which she unknowingly agreed to transport on her departure flight.
Nelson Wells Jr. was a world traveler who climbed mountains and explored Japan’s peaks, sharing the views with his father. Wells was taken into custody after agreeing to carry someone else’s luggage while returning from a China trip, his family explained. The person disappeared after airport security found narcotics concealed in the bag.
“I enjoyed serving my country,” said Wells’ father, Nelson Wells Sr., a U.S. Army veteran whose wife also worked for the Department of Defense for 28 years. “Now I just want my country to serve me.”
A U.S. State Department representative confirmed they are providing consular assistance to both individuals and that officials are working to protect the health and welfare of the two citizens, but refused to elaborate due to privacy concerns.
A representative from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that both individuals are completing sentences for significant drug-related offenses and that the government is managing their cases in accordance with legal procedures while ensuring their health and legitimate rights remain protected.
HEALTH CONCERNS MOUNTING
Sources indicate the State Department has formally requested Chinese officials to release both prisoners on compassionate grounds, and Chinese authorities have privately suggested they would consider such a request if it comes from high-level U.S. officials.
“The Chinese side has shown a willingness to grant the humanitarian release, but they are also keen to hear from the U.S. side just how important it is for the American people,” said Beijing-based lawyer James Zimmerman, who is advising the Hunt and Wells families.
Family members report that both prisoners are experiencing worsening health conditions. Hunt has developed significant medical issues and requires blood transfusions but lacks confidence in prison medical staff to agree to surgical procedures. Wells experiences severe seizures, diabetes, high blood pressure and other medical complications, according to his family.
In 2024, China and the U.S. each released three citizens both governments said were wrongfully detained in the other country, concluding years of diplomacy.
Supporters say U.S. government focus has increased in recent months. Peter Humphrey, a fraud investigator and former Chinese prisoner who now counsels families of foreign detainees in the country, reported that the U.S. embassy has been discussing these cases more regularly with Chinese officials.
Medical concerns have become the focal point of both families’ campaigns.
“Both Dawn Michelle Hunt and Nelson Wells are gravely ill and in desperate need of medical care in the U.S. – they should both be granted humanitarian parole,” said John Kamm, whose San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation researches political prisoners in China. Dui Hua estimates that there are around 200 Americans in carceral facilities in China.
Both families report their cases gained traction after they provided testimony at a September 2024 Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, which brought broader attention to Americans held in Chinese prisons.
They are also supporting legislation introduced by Representative Chris Smith, named for Hunt and Wells, that they believe would enhance assistance for families facing similar situations.
For both families, the emotional burden at home has grown heavier over time. Tim Hunt revealed his father passed away in January without witnessing his daughter’s release. Wells’ youngest daughter, now 12 and residing in Japan, has little connection with her father since she was only six months old when he was arrested, his family explained.
“We are common people,” Wells Sr. said. “We cry every night. Our loved ones never leave our minds.”
