US teen who pushed for her father’s release from ICE custody dies of cancer

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.

Last year, the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz, a surge in immigration enforcement arrests in Chicago, with officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), border patrol and other federal agencies descending on the city to drive up arrests.

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.

Delia Ramirez, a US representative opposing the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, said on social media that Ofelia, one of her constituents, was an inspiration.

“Even as Ofelia fought cancer, she also fought to bring her father home and ensured that he would no longer have to live in fear in the shadows,” Ramirez said. “She taught us what love, hope, and resolve look like. My condolences to her family and loved ones.”

Chicago’s mayor, Brandon Johnson, also expressed his condolences on social media, while criticizing the Trump administration’s operations in Chicago.

“Ofelia led a steadfast, dedicated and truly inspiring life,” Johnson said, adding that the Trump administration’s “indiscriminate, bigoted” mass deportation campaign, “which has upended the lives of hard-working families who came to Chicago, and other cities across the country, in search for a better life, must come to end”.

Sandibell Hidalgo, left, and Ofelia Torres, right, speak about the detention of Ruben Torres Maldonado during a press conference on 22 October 2025. Photograph: AP

A public GoFundMe page highlighting the Torres family’s story in October included a video by Ofelia talking about her dad and the effect of his arrest.

“I find it so unfair that hardworking immigrant families are being targeted
because they were not born here,” Ofelia said in the video. The Torres family were able to secure resources to help with their situation. “Sadly, that’s not the case for all families.”

“That’s why I’m making this video: to spread awareness and remind the public that immigrants are humans with families and deserve to be treated with love and respect, just like anyone else,” Ofelia added.

The Torres family’s story led to widespread condemnation and backlash against the Trump administration for their crackdown targeting families. Ofelia’s family received legal assistance, filing and pushing for his release.

In response to the Chicago Tribune when the family’s story came to light, homeland security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Ofelia’s father of “habitual driving offenses”. She called his legal case “nothing more than a desperate hail Mary attempt” to keep him in the US with his family.

Days before Ofelia died, a judge ruled that Torres Maldonado’s deportation would be blocked, due to the hardship it would bring his family, opening the door to a potential pathway to permanent residence and eventual citizenship.

“Ofelia was heroic and brave in the face of ICE’s detention and threatened
deportation of her father,” the family’s attorney said in a statement. “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.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Ofelia completed a school project on the high cost of healthcare in the US. As a result, her teacher introduced her to an Illinois state representative.

“She is smart, funny, inquisitive, engaging. We just talked about state healthcare policy,” Illinois state representative Laura Faver Dias said at the time. “We talked about her fears, our shared fears about what happens to Medicaid for her and her family as she is navigating cancer.”