Teen 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 has died from a rare form of cancer. Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo was diagnosed with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in December 2024 and had been undergoing treatment. Her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained in October 2025 during a major immigration crackdown, but an immigration judge later ruled he was conditionally entitled to "cancellation of removal" due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

Why it matters

This tragic story highlights the difficult circumstances faced by immigrant families, especially when a parent is detained by immigration authorities. Ofelia's advocacy for her father's release and her subsequent battle with a rare cancer underscores the human toll of immigration enforcement actions. The case also raises questions about the impact of such detentions on the well-being of U.S. citizen children.

The details

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16, died on February 15, 2026 from stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer. She had been diagnosed with the disease in December 2024 and was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Ofelia's father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration officials in October 2025 during a crackdown known as "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area. An immigration judge later ruled that Torres Maldonado was conditionally entitled to "cancellation of removal" due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

  • Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo was diagnosed with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in December 2024.
  • Ruben Torres Maldonado was detained by immigration officials on October 18, 2025.
  • An immigration judge ruled three days before Ofelia's death that Torres Maldonado was conditionally entitled to "cancellation of removal".
  • Ofelia died on February 15, 2026.

The players

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo

A 16-year-old Chicago girl who died from a rare form of cancer after speaking out 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 ruled conditionally entitled to "cancellation of removal" due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children.

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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 a path for Ruben Torres Maldonado to become a lawful permanent resident and eventual U.S. citizen.

The takeaway

Ofelia's tragic story underscores the immense human toll that immigration enforcement actions can have on families, especially when U.S. citizen children are involved. Her courage and advocacy for her father's release serve as an inspiration, even in the face of her own battle with a rare and devastating illness.