A Chicago Teen Had Just Returned From Chemo -- Then ICE Arrested Her Dad episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 21, 2025 · 19 MIN

A Chicago Teen Had Just Returned From Chemo -- Then ICE Arrested Her Dad

from The Block Club Chicago Podcast · host Jon Hansen, Block Club Chicago, Patrick Filbin

When 16-year-old Ofelia Torres’ father called from the Broadview ICE facility to say he had been taken by four masked federal immigration agents, the teen’s mother was at home helping drain the small IV port that keeps Ofelia nourished and alive during Stage 4, while the teenager showed her cousins how the small medical contraption worked.For almost a year, Ofelia Torres, a student at Lake View High School, has been receiving treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She had been home from the hospital for less than a day when the call came Saturday.Host - Jon HansenReporter - Patrick FilbinRead More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.Ground-level coverageOur neighborhood-based reporters don't parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. We believe this  ground-level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a  neighborhood.Stories that matter to you — every daySince our launch seven years ago, we've published more than 30,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 150,000 Chicagoans. We've built this loyalty by proving to folks we are not only covering their neighborhoods, we are a part of them. Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.

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When 16-year-old Ofelia Torres’ father called from the Broadview ICE facility to say he had been taken by four masked federal immigration agents, the teen’s mother was at home helping drain the small IV port that keeps Ofelia nourished and alive during Stage 4, while the teenager showed her cousins how the small medical contraption worked. For almost a year, Ofelia Torres, a student at Lake View High School, has been receiving treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She had been home from the hospital for less than a day when the call came Saturday.

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A Chicago Teen Had Just Returned From Chemo -- Then ICE Arrested Her Dad

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