A senior staffer for Texas Democrat Rep. Veronica Escobar repeatedly lied and impersonated an attorney to gain unauthorized access to an ICE detention facility on at least 11 separate occasions, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The staffer, Benito Torres, a senior caseworker in Escobar’s office, falsely claimed to be a licensed attorney or “accredited representative appearing before EOIR on immigration matters.”
Torres signed visitor logs stating he possessed a signed Form G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative) and used the deception to meet with detainees at the Camp East Montana ICE facility in Texas.
On January 30, Torres was caught passing a personal cellphone to multiple detainees, a clear violation of facility rules that prohibit personal phones and group meetings.
When confronted by the facility administrator, Torres admitted he was not an attorney and was visiting only as a private citizen. He falsely claimed the visits had been coordinated through Rep. Escobar’s office and ICE headquarters.
A full review of visitor logs revealed Torres had pulled the same stunt at least 11 times between September 26 and January 30.
Earlier this week, Todd M. Lyons, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director at ICE, sent a formal letter to Rep. Escobar detailing the violations and permanently banning Torres from all ICE facilities nationwide.
Hellbound and Down 