TGIF

When the cops are the criminals…

Oct 24, 2025

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez calls for the release of Ruben Torres Maldonado during a news conference on Oct. 22, 2025, at the Northwest Center in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Happy Friday morning.

When you’re retired like me, you don’t usually say TGIF. Friday’s not the end of the long work week for us. Instead, it’s the day Susan and I get to pick our granddaughter up from school (no ballet rehearsal today) and get to spend some fun-filled hours with her. What a treat.

But for thousands of immigrant parents and grandparents, the joy of after-school pickup is gone. It’s been replaced by terror and the fear of being grabbed from the pick-up line or having your child kidnapped by waiting armed, masked ICE thugs.

The case weighing most heavily on my mind today is that of Ruben Torres Maldonado, a longtime Chicago resident and father of two, including 16-year-old Ofelia Torres, a Lake View High student, who is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. Torres was arrested by ICE agents on Saturday at a Home Depot in Niles, Illinois, while picking up supplies for his job as a painter.

His daughter, Ofelia, had just returned home after 39 days of chemotherapy. She reportedly cried for hours after learning of her father’s detention, saying, “My heart is aching physically, and I know my cancer may be spreading faster due to this.” Her treatments have been on hold since her father was detained.

Torres’ wife, Sandibell Hidalgo, is now caring for both Ofelia and their 4-year-old son alone. She pleaded for his release, saying, “He’s a great man. He’s a taxpayer. He’s a wonderful dad, and I need his support.”

*** * ***

Torres has lived in the U.S. since 2003 and is eligible to apply for permanent residency through cancellation of removal, according to his attorneys. During a Thursday hearing, his attorneys asked a judge to immediately release him so his teenage daughter could continue her treatments. The judge gave the government’s attorney until midnight to submit additional documents, with a ruling in the case expected today.

This case has sparked widespread outrage and calls for reform of ICE enforcement tactics, especially in cases involving medical hardship and family separation. Elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, state Sen. Graciela Guzman, and several Chicago Aldermen, have called for his release, denouncing the operation as “unconscionable.”

Attorneys for Torres Maldonado say they’re optimistic he’ll be released from a detention center in Brazil, Indiana, where he is currently being held.

Ofelia came to federal court in a wheelchair surrounded by her family. Frail but full of faith, she is advocating for her father’s release, just days after her release from a local hospital.

There is a verified GoFundMe page titled “Stand with Ofelia: Support Her Family Now” created by Valerie Wadycki, Ofelia’s in-home teacher. The fundraiser aims to support the Torres family during Ruben Torres Maldonado’s detention and Ofelia’s cancer treatment. So chip in, if you can.

*** * ***

When the cops are the criminals…

When I refer to ICE agents as “thugs”, I don’t use the term lightly. While ICE detains thousands of immigrants with no criminal record, its own hiring pipeline has admitted agents with serious charges.

Federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, have brought in hundreds of recruits with criminal records: robbery, battery, and even disqualifying offenses that should’ve barred them from carrying a gun. No official data confirms ICE agents as Proud Boys, but investigative reporting has uncovered law enforcement officers across agencies with ties to far-right groups, including the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters. In 2021, a leaked membership list from the Oath Keepers included dozens of active-duty federal agents, prompting internal reviews.

DHS has acknowledged the threat of “insider extremism”, especially after January 6, but oversight remains fragmented.

Some slipped through vetting gaps, trained alongside career agents, and were only dismissed after background checks caught up. Meanwhile, immigrants like Ruben Torres — a Chicago father caring for his daughter with stage-4 cancer — are detained for traffic violations and paperwork delays.