A 16-year-old Chicago girl fought cancer with unimaginable courage—and then fought even harder for her father’s freedom after ICE ripped him away during her brief hospital break.

October 18, 2025: Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, battling stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma—a rare, aggressive soft tissue cancer diagnosed in December 2024—had just been released from Lurie Children’s Hospital for a precious weekend at home with family and friends. Chemo treatments paused for a moment of normalcy.

That same day, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, a painter and home renovator, was detained by federal immigration agents outside a Home Depot in Niles, Illinois. Part of the Trump administration’s sweeping “Operation Midway Blitz” crackdown flooding Chicago-area enforcement.

Ofelia—weak from cancer, yet fierce—went public. She posted emotional videos on social media, spoke to national outlets, pleaded in court hearings (via Zoom as her health allowed): “Please let my dad come home. I need him.” Her story went viral, highlighting the human cost of mass deportations.

Late October 2025: An immigration judge ruled the detention violated due process, ordered Ruben’s release on bond. He reunited with Ofelia just in time.

Three days before her death—in early February 2026—an immigration judge granted Ruben conditional “cancellation of removal,” citing the “extreme hardships” deportation would cause his U.S.-citizen children (including Ofelia and siblings). A pathway opened toward lawful permanent residence and potential citizenship.

Friday, February 13, 2026: Ofelia lost her battle. She died at 16 from metastatic stage 4 cancer, surrounded by family. Funeral arrangements private.

Her attorney called her “heroic and brave.” Chicago leaders, including Rep. Delia Ramirez, expressed heartbreak: “Ofelia was my constituent… taken too soon.”

This family’s pain: A teen enduring brutal treatments, chemo disruptions from family trauma, a father torn away at the worst moment—only for victory in court to come too late to share fully with his daughter.

A GoFundMe supports the family through grief and ongoing needs.

How does a system justify detaining a father while his dying child begs for him? Ofelia’s fight exposed the cruelty—and her legacy demands change.

Rest in peace, Ofelia. Your courage touched millions. Share this to honor her story and remember the families still separated.

Click below for the full heartbreaking timeline: diagnosis, detention drama, Ofelia’s powerful advocacy, the judge’s rulings, family statements, and tributes pouring in from Chicago and beyond…

A 16-year-old Chicago girl who became a national symbol of family separation during immigration enforcement has died after a fierce battle with an aggressive form of cancer. Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo succumbed to stage 4 metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma on February 13, 2026, just days after an immigration judge granted her father a pathway to remain in the United States. The case drew widespread attention last fall when her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shortly after Ofelia returned home from the hospital.

Ofelia, a junior at Lake View High School, was diagnosed with the rare soft tissue cancer in December 2024. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma primarily affects skeletal muscles and is known for its aggressive nature, particularly in adolescents. By 2025, the disease had progressed to stage 4 with metastasis, requiring intensive chemotherapy at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Much of her schooling shifted to remote learning as she endured treatments that lasted up to 39 consecutive days at one point.

The family’s ordeal intensified on October 18, 2025. Ofelia had been granted a brief weekend discharge from the hospital to spend time with loved ones—a rare break amid her grueling regimen. That same day, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado—a Mexican immigrant working as a painter and home renovator—was arrested by ICE agents outside a Home Depot in Niles, a suburb northwest of Chicago. The detention occurred during “Operation Midway Blitz,” a large-scale enforcement initiative launched in September 2025 under the Trump administration, which deployed additional federal agents to the Chicago region and resulted in numerous arrests.

Torres Maldonado was held at an ICE processing facility in Broadview before transfer to a detention center in Indiana. The arrest left the family in crisis: Ofelia’s doctors reported that the emotional stress and disruption prevented her from continuing treatment effectively. In response, Ofelia became an outspoken advocate. She posted videos on Instagram calling for her father’s release, spoke to media including ABC News’ “Nightline,” and appeared via Zoom at immigration hearings to plead her case. Her efforts highlighted the potential humanitarian impact of deportations on U.S.-citizen children facing serious illness.

In late October 2025, an immigration judge ruled that Torres Maldonado’s detention violated due process and ordered his release on a $2,000 bond. He reunited with Ofelia shortly thereafter. The case continued, culminating in a February 2026 ruling: The judge conditionally granted “cancellation of removal,” determining that deportation would impose extreme hardship on Torres Maldonado’s U.S.-born children, including Ofelia and her siblings. This decision opened a path for him to pursue lawful permanent resident status and eventual citizenship.

Tragically, Ofelia did not live to see the full resolution. She passed away three days after the ruling. A family spokesperson confirmed the cause as complications from her advanced cancer. Funeral arrangements were kept private.

Attorney Kalman Resnick, representing Torres Maldonado, described Ofelia as “heroic and brave in the face of ICE’s detention and threatened deportation of her father.” Chicago leaders expressed profound sorrow. U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez called the loss heartbreaking, noting Ofelia as a constituent whose strength inspired many. Community support included a GoFundMe campaign to assist the family with medical, funeral, and ongoing needs.

The story underscores tensions in U.S. immigration policy, particularly enforcement actions affecting mixed-status families during heightened crackdowns. Advocates argue cases like this demonstrate the human toll of separations, while officials maintain operations target public safety threats—though Torres Maldonado had no noted criminal history in public reports.

Ofelia’s legacy endures through her advocacy, which raised awareness for families navigating illness and immigration challenges. As her family grieves, the broader conversation on compassionate enforcement and support for vulnerable children continues.