Judge to decide Friday on ICE detention release for father of cancer-stricken teen

CHICAGO — A judge says he’ll rule Friday on whether a father, whose daughter is battling cancer, will be released from ICE detention.

Ruben Torres Maldonado is currently the Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana. The judge who presided over the hearing Thursday says he’s waiting on some additional documentation from the attorney representing the government before making a decision on his potential release.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Torres Maldonado last Saturday outside of the Home Depot in Niles.

He has lived in the United States since 2003 and has two children who are U.S. citizens.

Torres Maldonado’s oldest child, 16-year-old Ofelia, a student at Lake View High School, is receiving treatments for a rare and aggressive life-threatening form of cancer at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Maldonado claims to be the sole provider for his family.

Since Torres Maldonado’s arrest, community members and elected officials have rallied for his immediate release to help care for his daughter.

“Our client is currently in Indiana and we ask for him to be released immediately. We are optimistic that the judge will do so within the next day or so. The judge took the case under advisement so the government could submit some paperwork and indicated he would rule in the morning,” said Torres Maldonado’s attorney.

The Department of Homeland Security says Torres Maldonado’s criminal history includes habitual driving offenses, including being charged multiple times with driving without insurance, driving without a valid license and speeding.

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin released the following statement regarding Torres Maldonado’s case.

“This is nothing more than a desperate Hail Mary attempt to keep a criminal illegal alien in our country. The Trump administration is fighting for the rule of law and the American people.”