ICE Custody Release Hailed as Victory for Chicago Father of Cancer Battling Teenager
A Mexican immigrant father, whose teenage daughter is fighting a rare form of cancer, has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being held for weeks.
Ruben Torres Maldonado, who was detained by ICE agents in December, had his release ordered on bond following a hearing at the Broadview processing facility and an Indiana jail. The $2,000 bond was paid by his family, bringing an end to a highly publicized case that drew support from elected officials and advocacy groups.
The 16-year-old daughter of Ruben, Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, has been battling metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. Following her arrest, the girl's chemotherapy treatment was paused due to her father's detention. Her lawyers claim that her emotional and physical health have suffered significantly as a result.
Attorney Kalman Resnick stated, "We're very hopeful that upon Ruben's return to the family, the daughter will be able to continue receiving the treatment she needs." The doctors of Ofelia emphasized the importance of a strong support system for her recovery. Resnick further noted that it is scary when her treatment can be interrupted.
Ruben Maldonado was ordered released from immigration custody following a hearing at the Broadview processing facility and an Indiana jail, where he had been held since December. The ICE agents detained him on the day after Ofelia's chemotherapy treatment began. In response to his detention, elected officials have called for a hearing and his release.
Attorney Charlie Wysong claimed that this case should serve as a warning of how immigrants' legal rights are being violated during President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign. He stated, "Due process really means the right to tell your own side of the story … the legal right to be free from incarceration."
After his release, Maldonado plans to apply for cancellation of removal and then seek citizenship for himself, despite his two children being U.S. citizens.
A Mexican immigrant father, whose teenage daughter is fighting a rare form of cancer, has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being held for weeks.
Ruben Torres Maldonado, who was detained by ICE agents in December, had his release ordered on bond following a hearing at the Broadview processing facility and an Indiana jail. The $2,000 bond was paid by his family, bringing an end to a highly publicized case that drew support from elected officials and advocacy groups.
The 16-year-old daughter of Ruben, Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, has been battling metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. Following her arrest, the girl's chemotherapy treatment was paused due to her father's detention. Her lawyers claim that her emotional and physical health have suffered significantly as a result.
Attorney Kalman Resnick stated, "We're very hopeful that upon Ruben's return to the family, the daughter will be able to continue receiving the treatment she needs." The doctors of Ofelia emphasized the importance of a strong support system for her recovery. Resnick further noted that it is scary when her treatment can be interrupted.
Ruben Maldonado was ordered released from immigration custody following a hearing at the Broadview processing facility and an Indiana jail, where he had been held since December. The ICE agents detained him on the day after Ofelia's chemotherapy treatment began. In response to his detention, elected officials have called for a hearing and his release.
Attorney Charlie Wysong claimed that this case should serve as a warning of how immigrants' legal rights are being violated during President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation campaign. He stated, "Due process really means the right to tell your own side of the story … the legal right to be free from incarceration."
After his release, Maldonado plans to apply for cancellation of removal and then seek citizenship for himself, despite his two children being U.S. citizens.
anyway i'm glad he's out now and can be with his daughter 
but what's with the whole deportation thing? i thought we were a more just country or something 
anyway back to Ofelia... poor girl, she needs all the love and support right now 
after going through all that ICE drama it's like he was already on life support 
ofelia seems like such a strong kiddo though gotta root for her 
but seriously how hard is it to just be with your kid during their cancer fight?! 
ICE detaining a dad who's literally fighting to save his own daughter's life? Like what even is the point of that? I mean, we get it, US immigration laws are complicated, but come on, dude's got cancer and you're holding him back? The fact that they had to be held up by elected officials is just sad 
. It's so not right that a family has to go through this stress & uncertainty just because of immigration status...can't we all just get along? 
. that's just heartbreaking. it's not fair at all that she had to suffer like that. and now that he's out, she can finally get back on track with her treatment 
. i feel so bad for him too, he must be so worried about his daughter and his own future in the US 
. it's like, due process is really important here, you know? 
i hope Ruben can get that citizenship thing sorted out soon, that would be amazing 
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! I mean, can you even imagine having your kid's cancer treatment paused just because you got detained by the authorities? It's crazy! And to think that the dad was stuck in ICE custody for weeks, not knowing if he'd ever see his daughter again... 
It's a miracle Ruben's daughter is still fighting for her life, and it's all thanks to her family rallying around her. I'm so proud of them! 
Anyway, this case should definitely be a wake-up call for everyone to take a closer look at our immigration system and make sure we're treating people with dignity and respect... not locking them up like they're some kind of threat 
. Let's get to the bottom of this and make things right for people like Ruben! 
. I mean, what does that say about our priorities? We're more concerned with getting people out of detention than with actually helping those who need it most.
. I'm glad he's finally out, though - his family deserves to have their lives back together.
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he's been through so much already with his daughter's cancer battle and now he can finally focus on her recovery 
it's scary when people's rights are being violated like this, but it's also a reminder that we need to be advocating for those who can't speak up themselves 
Ruben's plan to apply for citizenship after getting his removal cancelled is super inspiring 
he's got a chance to start fresh and create a better life for himself and his family 
!
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. It's also super commendable of elected officials to step in and advocate for this case - its not often you see people taking a stand like this 
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. and yeah, let's all be glad that his daughter gets to keep fighting cancer, but let's not forget about the millions of other ppl living in fear of ICE 
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The girl's fighting cancer, and her dad's detention was literally putting her treatment in jeopardy. 
Anyway, kudos to the family and everyone who supported them - this is definitely a victory! 
and now they're saying his release could be a warning sign for other immigrants being treated unfairly? it's just not right. we need to do better as a society, especially when it comes to protecting the rights of people who are already vulnerable 
the system can be so harsh sometimes 
and it's good that elected officials & advocacy groups are speaking up 
hopefully he'll get citizenship soon too, for those 2 little kids who already are us citizens 
And what's with the $2k bond? Can't they see that releasing him now would be a better use of resources than keeping him locked up? 
He was through it for weeks and poor Ofelia was sufferin' because of it 
Her cancer treatment was paused because of her dad bein' detained, can you even imagine? It's not right, man. The fact that he had to go through all that just 'cause he was a Mexican immigrant is whack