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Ofelia Torres, 16, Dies Days After Ruling That Opens Path for Her Father to Remain in U.S.

Her public campaign over her father’s October ICE detention helped secure a conditional cancellation of removal that could lead to permanent residency.

Ofelia Torres.
Ofelia Torres, 16, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and her mother, Sandibell Hidalgo, sit in their Chicago home on Oct. 20, 2025. Torres' father and Hidalgo's husband, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at a Home Depot in Niles, Illinois. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Image
FILE - Sandibell Hidalgo, left, and Ofelia Torres, 16, speak during a news conference calling for the release of Ruben Torres Maldonado on Oct. 22, 2025. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)

Overview

  • Her family said Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo died Friday from stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
  • Three days earlier, an immigration judge found her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, conditionally eligible for cancellation of removal, creating a pathway to lawful permanent residence, which she watched via Zoom.
  • Torres Maldonado was detained Oct. 18, 2025, outside a Home Depot in Niles during Operation Midway Blitz after Ofelia briefly left the hospital.
  • A judge later ruled the detention unlawful and ordered a bond hearing, leading to his release on $2,000 in late October.
  • Elected officials praised Ofelia’s courage, while DHS highlighted prior driving-related charges and alleged noncompliance during the arrest as the immigration case continues through remaining steps.