China (MNN) — It’s been nearly six months since Pastor John Cao walked out of prison after serving his seven-year term in China, and he’s still not free.

The Chinese government refuses to give Cao an ID card and passport, which means he cannot return to the United States.

“In China, you need an ID card to do anything – to make a doctor’s appointment, to get on a train to go to a different city – you can be arrested if the police ask you for an ID card and you don’t have one,” The Voice of the Martyrs USA’s Todd Nettleton says.

“He would like to get on a plane after seven years in prison and come home and see his wife. However, the Chinese government has refused to issue the documents he needs to reunite with his family,” Nettleton continues.

“He was released from prison, but in many ways, he’s still very much a captive.”

The government first began targeting Cao in 2017. Officials turned a journey he made regularly for ministry – one they knew about for three years – into a punishable offense.

“Even though hundreds of people cross that border every day, back and forth, Pastor John Cao was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison for illegal border crossing,” Nettleton says.

Despite serving his sentence, Cao is under constant surveillance and has been arrested multiple times. “This is a sign of the Chinese government’s hardline stance against Christians,” Nettleton says.

“This is someone who served the full seven years, and yet the Chinese government is not satisfied and wants to punish him further.”

Ask the Lord to soften officials’ hearts. Pray the government will soon give Cao the documents he needs to return home.

In the header image, Pastor John Cao holds a sign that reads, “I am a Chinese citizen, and I love my country, but I don’t have an ID card” in front of the Furong District Branch of Changsha Public Security Bureau in Hunan Province. (Photo courtesy of Pastor John Cao’s family via China Aid)