"As she and her family struggled with the medical procedures, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration authorities while at a Home Depot in October, leading to a contentious and public case that highlighted the human effects of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown. Torres Maldonado's arrest and detention was illegal, a judge later ruled in late October."
"He was released from custody on 30 October. Last year, the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz, a surge in immigration enforcement arrests in Chicago, with officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), border patrol and other federal agencies descending on the city to drive up arrests. Torres Maldonado was arrested by authorities and detained in an immigration jail amid the operation."
"Ofelia had been enjoying a temporary break from treatment for stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that develops in skeletal muscles, when her father was detained. A public GoFundMe page highlighting the Torres family's story in October included a video by Ofelia talking about her dad and the effect of his arrest. I find it so unfair that hardworking immigrant families are being targeted because they were not born here, Ofelia said in the video."
Ofelia Torres, 16, underwent treatment since late 2024 for stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare aggressive cancer of skeletal muscles. Her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration authorities at a Home Depot in October during a surge of enforcement called Operation Midway Blitz. A judge later ruled his arrest and detention illegal, and he was released on October 30. The family shared a GoFundMe and a video in which Ofelia urged humane treatment for immigrant families. Ofelia died on Friday. The family secured some resources to help, though many families lack similar support.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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