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An emotional chapter in a Chicago family’s story has drawn to a close with the passing of a young girl who had been courageously battling stage 4 cancer. The family of Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo shared the heart-wrenching news of her death, as reported by a spokesperson to ABC7.
The family’s ordeal began when Ofelia’s father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was unexpectedly detained by immigration authorities. The arrest took place on October 18 outside a Home Depot in Niles, mere moments after Ofelia had returned home following a hospital visit for her cancer treatment.
After his release from DHS custody, Torres returned to his family on the Northwest Side of Chicago. He recounted to ABC7 the relief of being reunited with his daughter, who had continued to receive treatments in the months following his return.
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Ofelia expressed how having her father back was a source of comfort and strength during her fight against cancer. “With him by my side, everything felt a little easier,” she shared in October. The simple joys of spending time together — watching movies and sharing meals — became cherished moments that highlighted the importance of family bonds during difficult times.
“I’m so glad to have him back,” Ofelia had said, reflecting on those challenging weeks without him. The family’s poignant story is a reminder of the profound impact of love and togetherness, even amid life’s most daunting battles.
“We spend time together just being lazy honestly just watching movies, eating together, just simple things,” she said in October. “I am so happy to have him back. Those two weeks without him were really hard.”
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In a statement Saturday, a family spokesperson said, “Three days before her death, an immigration judge in Chicago ruled that Ofelia’s father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was conditionally entitled to receive “cancellation of removal” due to the hardships his deportation would cause his U.S. citizen children, providing him with a pathway to lawful permanent residence and eventually U.S. citizenship. Ofelia was present via Zoom at her father’s hearing to witness her family’s victory.”
“Ofelia was heroic and brave in the face of ICE’s detention and threatened deportation of her father,” Kalman Resnick, the attorney representing Torres, said in a statement. “We mourn Ofelia’s passing, and we hope that she will serve as a model for us all for how to be courageous and to fight for what’s right to our last breaths.”
This is a developing story.
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