A Chicago family is breathing a sigh of relief after a judge ruled that Ruben Torres Maldonado, a devoted father of a 16-year-old battling an aggressive cancer, will be released on bond. This decision, announced Thursday, comes as Torres Maldonado navigates a complex immigration case.
Torres Maldonado, a 40-year-old painter and home renovator, was unexpectedly detained on October 18 at a Home Depot in the suburbs. His legal team has been advocating for his release, emphasizing his clean criminal record and the critical health situation of his daughter.
Immigration Judge Eva S. Saltzman, acknowledging these factors, decided to grant his release on a $2,000 bond. “We are gratified that the judge made the humane and common sense decision today to reunite Ruben Torres Maldonado with his family while they are dealing with this challenging health crisis for their child,” said his attorney, Kalman Resnick, in a statement.
Torres Maldonado is expected to be released either Thursday or Friday and is actively pursuing U.S. permanent residency, which could provide more stability for his family during this trying time.
His daughter, Ofelia Torres, has been bravely battling metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive type of soft-tissue cancer, since her diagnosis in December. She continues to undergo intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, making her father’s presence all the more vital during her fight.
Torres Maldonado’s daughter, Ofelia Torres, was diagnosed in December with a rare and aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer called metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
“I can’t wait to see my dad,” Ofelia said in a statement. “We need him to be at home with me and our family.”
Ofelia described her father as a “hard-working person who wakes up early in the morning and goes to work without complaining, thinking about his family,” in a video posted on a GoFundMe page set up for her family.
Torres Maldonado and his partner, Sandibell Hidalgo, also have a 4-year-old son. Hidalgo thanked the judge, her community and people who have followed the family’s story as it made national headlines this month.
“To every person who has donated to our GoFundMe, brought us dinner, and provided emotional support, we are so grateful,” she said in a statement.
Torres Maldonado’s arrest comes after weeks of tense encounters and increasingly aggressive tactics by federal immigration agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz, which has resulted in more than 3,000 arrests in the Chicago metropolitan area.
U.S. District Judge Jeremy Daniel said last week that Torres Maldonado’s detention is illegal and violates his due process rights. But Daniel also said he could not order his immediate release.
“While sympathetic to the plight the petitioner’s daughter faces due to her health concerns, the court must act within the constraints of the relevant statutes, rules, and precedents,” the judge wrote Friday.
The Department of Homeland Security alleges that Torres Maldonado has been living illegally in the U.S. for years after entering the U.S. in 2003.
