CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago man whose 16-year-old daughter is undergoing treatment for advanced cancer will be released on bond and return home, an immigration judge ruled Thursday.
Attorneys for Ruben Torres Maldonado, a 40-year-old painter and home renovator who was detained Oct. 18 at a suburban Home Depot store, have petitioned for his release as his deportation case goes through the system.
Judge Eva S. Saltzman on Thursday cited Torres Maldonado’s lack of criminal history while allowing his release on a $2,000 bond. We are gratified that the judge made the humane and common sense decision today to reunite Ruben Torres Maldonado with his family while they are dealing with this challenging health crisis for their child, his attorney, Kalman Resnick, said in a statement.
Torres Maldonado’s daughter, Ofelia Torres, was diagnosed in December with a rare and aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer called metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
“I can’t wait to see my dad,” Ofelia said in a statement. “We need him to be at home with me and our family.”
Ofelia described her father as a “hard-working person who wakes up early in the morning and goes to work without complaining, thinking about his family,” in a video posted on a GoFundMe page set up for her family.
Torres Maldonado and his partner, Sandibell Hidalgo, also have a 4-year-old son. Hidalgo thanked the judge, her community, and people who have followed the family’s story as it made national headlines this month.
“To every person who has donated to our GoFundMe, brought us dinner, and provided emotional support, we are so grateful,” she said in a statement.
Torres Maldonado’s arrest occurred amid tense encounters and increasingly aggressive tactics employed by federal immigration agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz, resulting in widespread arrests in the Chicago metropolitan area.
U.S. District Judge Jeremy Daniel noted last week that Torres Maldonado’s detention is illegal and violates his due process rights, although he could not order his immediate release due to legal constraints.
While the Department of Homeland Security alleges that Torres Maldonado has been living illegally in the U.S. since 2003, the ruling emphasizes the need for humane consideration in immigration cases, especially involving family health crises.
