US teen who pushed for her father's release from ICE custody dies of cancer [View all]

Source: The Guardian

A Chicago teenager, whose father was detained by immigration authorities while she navigated cancer, died on Friday, a family spokesperson said.

Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old in Chicago, had been undergoing treatment for an aggressive and rare form of cancer since late 2024. As she and her family struggled with the medical procedures, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration authorities while at a Home Depot in October, leading to a contentious and public case that highlighted the human effects of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

The family challenged Torres Maldonado’s detention, saying he was instrumental to helping their family and caring for Ofelia’s four-year-old brother, Nathan. A judge later ruled in late October that Torres Maldonado’s arrest and detention was illegal. He was released from custody on 30 October.

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Torres Maldonado was arrested by authorities and detained in an immigration jail amid the operation. Ofelia had been enjoying a temporary break from treatment for stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that develops in skeletal muscles, when her father was detained.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/15/chicago-ofelia-torres-death-cancer-father-ice-custody