Chicago Teen Dies from Rare Cancer After Advocating for Father's Release from Immigration Detention

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16, passed away days after her father was granted a path to legal residency.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, a 16-year-old from Chicago, died on Friday after a battle with a rare form of cancer. Ofelia had spoken out in support of her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, after he was detained by immigration officials in October 2025. An immigration judge ruled just three days before Ofelia's death that Torres Maldonado was entitled to 'cancellation of removal' due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

Why it matters

Ofelia's case highlights the human toll that immigration enforcement can take on families, especially when children are involved. Her courageous advocacy for her father's release brought attention to the difficult situations faced by many immigrant families in the U.S.

The details

Ofelia was diagnosed with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, in December 2024. She had been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained in October 2025 during a major immigration crackdown in the Chicago area. Ofelia appeared in a video and attended a hearing for her father, pleading for his release. The judge ultimately ruled that Torres Maldonado was entitled to 'cancellation of removal' due to the hardship his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

  • Ofelia was diagnosed with cancer in December 2024.
  • Torres Maldonado was detained on October 18, 2025.
  • Ofelia appeared in a video and attended a hearing for her father in October 2025.
  • The immigration judge ruled in favor of Torres Maldonado just 3 days before Ofelia's death on February 15, 2026.

The players

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo

A 16-year-old girl from Chicago who battled a rare form of cancer and advocated for her father's release from immigration detention.

Ruben Torres Maldonado

Ofelia's father, a painter and home renovator who was detained by immigration officials in October 2025 and later granted a path to legal residency.

Kalman Resnick

The attorney representing Ruben Torres Maldonado.

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What they’re saying

“Ofelia was heroic and brave in the face of ICE's detention and threatened deportation of her father. We mourn Ofelia's passing, and we hope that she will serve as a model for us all for how to be courageous and to fight for what's right to our last breaths.”

— Kalman Resnick, Torres Maldonado's attorney

“My dad, like many other fathers, is a hard-working person who wakes up early in the morning and goes to work without complaining, thinking about his family. I find it so unfair that hardworking immigrant families are being targeted just because they were not born here.”

— Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo (GoFundMe)

What’s next

The immigration judge's ruling provides Torres Maldonado with a path to becoming a lawful permanent resident and eventual U.S. citizenship.

The takeaway

Ofelia's courageous fight for her father's release from immigration detention, even as she battled a rare and aggressive cancer, serves as an inspiring example of the sacrifices immigrant families make to stay together in the face of deportation threats.