Ruben Torres Maldonado’s case is set to be heard in immigration court Thursday morning, five days after he was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers outside of a Home Depot in northwest suburban Niles.
Since Saturday, the 40-year-old Torres Maldonado has been held at an ICE facility in suburban Broadview awaiting his first court hearing.
Torres Maldonado’s family includes his 16-year-old daughter, Ofelia, who suffers from a rare and aggressive form of cancer and who had just been allowed to return home from Lurie Children’s Hospital less than a day before her father was aggressively approached by four masked ICE agents and forcibly removed him from his car, according to a report in Block Club Chicago.
U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., joined community and elected leaders Wednesday in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood to call for Torres Maldonado’s release and an end to ICE’s aggressive immigration enforcement action.
Ramirez said President Donald Trump’s administration is using immigration enforcement as a “terror force” to separate families and “cause trauma, especially in Black and brown communities.”
“We are seeing every single day the invasion by a weaponized federal government in the city of Chicago and the suburbs and all over the country. The greatest threat to public safety in our communities is called ICE. It’s called CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection].”
Ramirez said Torres Maldonado should be with his ill daughter and his family instead of locked up in an ICE facility.
“They should be together right now. But instead, Ruben became another person taken by this rogue agency,” Ramirez said. “Putting his family through the pain and fear of separation is not making anyone safer.”
Torres Maldonado has lived in Chicago since 2003 with Sandibell Hildago, his partner of 20 years, and their two children, including a 4-year-old son. His attorney, Kalman Resnick, has filed an emergency order for his release, with his main argument being that Torres Maldonado’s detention is unlawful and violates his constitutional rights to due process.
Torres Maldonado has no criminal record apart from minor traffic infractions, according to Resnick.
“It could be resolved tomorrow. It could be resolved today. The government could simply decide to release Ruben and file the papers that need to be filed, which haven’t been filed yet, with the court to start the removal proceedings against him, so we can apply for Ruben to become a permanent resident. They don’t have to wait,” Resnick said. “The government can act today, but if not, we hope the judge will act tomorrow.”
Hidalgo spoke via a Zoom link at Wednesday’s press conference.
“It hasn’t been a week yet and it’s been so hard trying to raise a toddler that’s full of energy that wants to play and take care of my daughter that has medical needs,” she said. “All I am asking you for is to release him so he could come home. He is a great man, he’s a taxpayer. He’s a wonderful dad and I need his support.”
Ramirez said she intends to be at Thursday’s hearing for Torres Maldonado.
“Our responsibility is to make sure that Ruben Torres Maldonado gets back to that beautiful family as quickly as possible,” Ramirez said.