Teen Daughter Who Campaigned For Chicago Man Detained By Ice Dies From Rare Cancer

A Chicago teen who had campaigned for her father's merchandise from migration detention has died aft a conflict pinch a uncommon shape of cancer.

Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16, passed distant connected Friday from shape 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, her family confirmed successful a statement. The teen had been diagnosed pinch nan fierce soft insubstantial crab successful December and had been undergoing intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Her decease comes conscionable days aft an migration judge successful Chicago ruled that her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was conditionally entitled to a "cancellation of removal". This important decision, made only 3 days earlier Ofelia's passing, acknowledged nan terrible hardship his deportation would inflict upon his US-born, national children.

The ruling, according to a connection from his attorney, now offers Mr Torres Maldonado a clear pathway to becoming a lawful imperishable resident and, eventually, a US citizen. Funeral arrangements for Ofelia stay private, nan family added.

Ofelia was coming via Zoom astatine past week's hearing.

“Ofelia was heroic and brave successful nan look of ICE’s detention and threatened deportation of her father,” said Kalman Resnick, Torres Maldonado's attorney. “We mourn Ofelia’s passing, and we dream that she will service arsenic a exemplary for america each for really to beryllium courageous and to conflict for what’s correct to our past breaths.”

Torres Maldonado, a creator and location renovator, was detained Oct. 18 astatine a Home Depot shop successful suburban Chicago arsenic nan area was astatine nan halfway of a awesome migration crackdown dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” which began successful early September.

Ofelia was undergoing curen erstwhile she appeared successful October successful a video posted connected a GoFundMe page group up for nan family.

“My dad, for illustration galore different fathers, is simply a hard-working personification who wakes up early successful nan greeting and goes to activity without complaining, reasoning astir his family,” she said successful nan video. “I find it truthful unfair that hardworking migrant families are being targeted conscionable because they were not calved here.”

In a wheelchair, she attended a proceeding for her begetter successful October. The family’s attorneys told a judge astatine that clip that she was released from nan infirmary conscionable a time earlier her father’s apprehension truthful that she could spot family and friends. They added that Ofelia had been incapable to proceed curen “because of nan accent and disruption.”

Torres Maldonado's attorneys petitioned for his merchandise arsenic his deportation lawsuit went done nan system. A judge ordered a enslaved proceeding aft ruling successful October that his detention was forbidden and violated Torres Maldonado's owed process rights.

A judge later cited Torres Maldonado’s deficiency of criminal history while allowing his merchandise connected a $2,000 bond.

Lawyers said Torres Maldonado entered nan U.S. successful 2003. He and his partner, Sandibell Hidalgo, besides person a younger son.

The Department of Homeland Security had alleged he had been surviving illegally successful nan U.S. for years and has a history of driving offenses, including driving without a valid license, without security and speeding.