Chicago, Illinois - A teen girl in Chicago recently died of cancer after she fought desperately to get her father released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

According to NBC News, Ofelia Torres (16), who was a junior at Chicago’s Lake View High School, passed away on Friday from Stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that affects the soft tissue.

On October 18, 2025, Ofelia's father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was arrested and detained by ICE.

That same day, Ofelia shared a video on Instagram, which showed photos of her with her father and younger brother, and photos of her in the hospital during her cancer treatment.

In audio included in the video, Ofelia explained that she made the clip to raise awarness about the damage ICE is doing to immigrant families like hers.

"My dad, like many others, is a hardworking person who wakes up early in the morning and goes to work without complaining, thinking about his family," Ofelia said.

"I find it so unfair that hardworking immigrant families are being targeted just because they were not born here," she added.

A judge later ruled that Torres Maldonado's rights to due process had been violated by his detention, and he was released on $2,000 bail.

Three days before her death, Ofelia attended a hearing via Zoom in which her father was given an opportunity for a pathway to permanent residence in the US and citizenship.

Ofelia's passing comes as President Donald Trump has deployed federal immigration agents to states across the US to enact mass deportation sweeps.

While the president and his administration have insisted their effort is focused on getting rid of violent criminals, less than 14% of those arrested in 2025 during Trump's first year back in office had violent criminal records.

In a statement regarding Torres Maldonado's October arrest, the Department of Homeland Security said he had been "charged multiple times with driving without insurance, driving without a valid license, and speeding."

The department also claimed that during his arrest, he "did not comply with instructions from the officers and attempted to flee in his vehicle and backed into a government vehicle."

In a statement regarding Ofelia's death, an attorney for Torres Maldonado described the young girl as "heroic and brave."

"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," the attorney added.