Congressional Staffer Accused of Falsely Claiming Attorney Status at ICE Detention Facility

A senior caseworker for Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar of Texas allegedly misrepresented himself as an attorney at least 11 times to gain access to detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, according to a letter sent by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.

In the letter dated Thursday, Lyons informed Rep. Escobar that her staff member, Benito Torres, had repeatedly falsified his credentials to meet with detained migrants at the Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. According to ICE records, Torres first presented himself as a legal professional in September 2025, with the most recent incident occurring on January 30.

“The available evidence demonstrates your staffer, a senior caseworker named Benito Torres, misrepresented himself as counsel for detainees in ICE custody, violated clear detention standards and security protocols prohibiting the use of cellphones inside ICE facilities, improperly met with multiple detainees, and falsely claimed to ICE personnel such use had been approved by the agency,” Lyons wrote in the letter.

During the January 30 visit, Torres was confronted by a facility administrator after officials became aware of someone passing a phone to multiple detainees. When questioned, Torres reportedly admitted he was not an attorney and was visiting in a private capacity. The letter included a sign-in log showing Torres claiming to be a “lawyer” visiting a “client.”

As a result of these alleged violations, Lyons stated that Torres has been prohibited from accessing any ICE facility. The acting director has requested written responses from Rep. Escobar to several questions, including whether Torres was employed by her office during the dates of his visits, if he is a licensed attorney, and whether she was aware of or condones his actions.

Rep. Escobar defended Torres in a statement, describing him as “a dedicated public servant” and “Army veteran,” while calling the allegations against him “unfounded.” She suggested the accusations might be politically motivated, stating, “This administration has a history of engaging in intimidation tactics against Members of Congress as well as continuously attempting to obstruct our ability to provide oversight.”

Escobar also criticized ICE for failing to respond to her previous letters about conditions at Camp East Montana. “ICE has refused to respond to multiple letters I’ve sent about Camp East Montana regarding deaths, including a homicide; outbreaks of diseases including COVID-19, measles, and tuberculosis; waste, fraud, and abuse; a lack of legal representation or medical care; and so much more,” she stated.

The El Paso facility has been a point of contention for Escobar, who has previously characterized it as “disastrous and inhumane” and called for its closure. In March, she criticized what she called “chronic substandard conditions” at the migrant facility, writing on social media that “these added facilities serve only as tools for the administration’s inhumanity.”

This incident is not isolated within congressional staff circles. In November, Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., fired a staffer named Edward York who similarly claimed to be an attorney for an undocumented immigrant in an attempt to facilitate his release. The immigrant in question, Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval, a Mexican citizen, had a DUI conviction and had been previously deported to Mexico four times.

The allegations against Torres highlight ongoing tensions between congressional oversight efforts and immigration enforcement policies at detention facilities along the southern border, where concerns about conditions, transparency, and access have been persistent issues for lawmakers and advocacy groups.