Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16-year-old daughter of Chicago resident Ruben Torres Maldonado, passed away on February 14, 2026, after fighting stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer. Her father had been briefly detained by ICE in October 2025 outside a Niles Home Depot while she returned from hospital treatment; they reunited after his bond release, with her crediting family time for strength. Three days before her death, an immigration judge approved conditional “cancellation of removal” for Maldonado due to hardship on his U.S. citizen children—Ofelia joined the hearing via Zoom—as family attorney Kalman Resnick praised her heroic spirit.
