Chicago teen who spoke out for detained father dies of rare cancer

A 16-year-old Chicago girl, Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, who publicly advocated for her father during his ICE detention in a deportation case, died from stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Diagnosed in December 2024, she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation and even appeared by Zoom at a court hearing as her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, faced removal. An immigration judge ruled three days before her death that he could pursue cancellation of removal due to hardships on his US-born children, potentially paving a path to permanent residency. Funeral arrangements are private; family and attorneys described Ofelia as brave for speaking out during Operation Midway Blitz, the immigration crackdown that led to her father’s detention.