Daughter of Chicago Man Detained in Immigration Case Dies from Rare Cancer

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16, passed away after battling stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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A 16-year-old Chicago girl who spoke out for her father's release after he was detained by immigration officials in a deportation case has died from a rare form of cancer. Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo died on Friday after battling stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer. Her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was conditionally entitled to receive 'cancellation of removal' just three days before Ofelia's passing, providing him a path to becoming a lawful permanent resident and eventual U.S. citizenship.

Why it matters

This tragic case highlights the human toll that immigration enforcement actions can have on families, especially when children are involved. Ofelia's courageous advocacy for her father's release underscores the difficult circumstances faced by many immigrant families in the U.S.

The details

Ofelia had been diagnosed with the rare cancer in December 2024 and was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration officials in October 2025 at a Home Depot store in suburban Chicago as part of a major immigration crackdown. Ofelia appeared in a video posted on a GoFundMe page in October, pleading for her father's release and stating that he was a hardworking immigrant who should not be targeted. An immigration judge ruled three days before Ofelia's death that Torres Maldonado was conditionally entitled to 'cancellation of removal' due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

  • Ofelia was diagnosed with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in December 2024.
  • Torres Maldonado was detained by immigration officials on October 18, 2025.
  • Ofelia appeared in a video pleading for her father's release in October 2025.
  • An immigration judge ruled in favor of Torres Maldonado three days before Ofelia's death.
  • Ofelia passed away on February 15, 2026.

The players

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo

A 16-year-old Chicago girl who spoke out for her father's release after he was detained by immigration officials in a deportation case.

Ruben Torres Maldonado

Ofelia's father, a painter and home renovator who was detained by immigration officials in October 2025 and later conditionally entitled to 'cancellation of removal' due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

Kalman Resnick

The attorney representing 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

This tragic case underscores the immense human toll that aggressive immigration enforcement actions can have on families, especially when children are involved. Ofelia's courageous advocacy for her father's release serves as an inspiration for others fighting to keep their families together in the face of deportation threats.