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, Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, has died after a battle with a rare form of cancer. Ofelia had spoken out for the release of her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, who was detained by immigration officials last fall. 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.

Why it matters

This tragic story highlights the human toll that immigration enforcement can take, especially on families with U.S. citizen children. Ofelia's advocacy for her father's release underscores the difficult circumstances faced by many immigrant families in the U.S.

The details

Ofelia was diagnosed in December 2024 with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive form of soft tissue cancer. She had been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Three days before her death, an immigration judge ruled that her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was conditionally entitled to 'cancellation of removal' due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children. Torres Maldonado, a painter and home renovator, was detained in October 2025 at a Home Depot store in suburban Chicago as part of an immigration crackdown.

  • Ofelia was diagnosed with cancer in December 2024.
  • Torres Maldonado was detained on October 18, 2025.
  • An immigration judge ruled in favor of Torres Maldonado three days before Ofelia's death.

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.

Ruben Torres Maldonado

Ofelia's father, a painter and home renovator who was detained by immigration officials in October 2025.

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

The takeaway

This tragic story underscores the immense human toll that aggressive immigration enforcement can have on families, especially those with U.S. citizen children. Ofelia's courageous advocacy for her father's release serves as an inspiring example of how to fight for what is right, even in the face of adversity.