Ofelia Torres, teen who fought to have her father released from ICE custody, dies from rare cancer

The Chicago teen who fought to have her father released from ICE custody after he was detained in Niles, Illinois, last October has died.

Ofelia Torres, 16, died on Friday from Stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that develops in skeletal muscles, according to a family spokesperson.

The teen outlined her battle with cancer last year in a YouTube video and how it affected her family. Ofelia, in the video, also mentioned that she is the daughter of immigrants. Her father, Ruben, was detained by immigration officers while at a Niles Home Depot parking lot on Oct. 18. Reuben had no criminal history other than previous minor traffic offenses.

A judge ruled his rights were violated when he was detained without a bond hearing. He was later released on a $2,000 bond as his deportation case makes its way through the system. His lawyer said Ruben was the main parent who watched her brother while she received treatment.

The spokesperson for the family said that three days before Ofelia's death, an immigration judge in Chicago ruled that Ofelia's father was conditionally entitled to receive "cancellation of removal" due to the hardships his deportation would cause his children, who are U.S. citizens, providing him with a pathway to lawful permanent residence and eventually U.S. citizenship. She witnessed the ruling via Zoom.

"Ofelia was heroic and brave in the face of ICE's detention and threatened deportation of her father," said Ruben's attorney, Kalman Resnick. "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."

Mayor Brandon Johnson also responded to Ofelia's passing on social media, saying in part, "Ofelia led a steadfast, dedicated and truly inspiring life. Her courage amidst powerful forces that have been designed to stoke fear, uncertainty, and division shows us who we are at our best—compassionate without condition, unwavering in our comittment to justice, and and brave despite all the odds."

Ofelia was a junior and attended Lake View High School.

Private funeral arrangements have been made.