A staffer for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, has been accused of repeatedly misrepresenting himself as an attorney to gain access to detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas, according to a letter from federal officials.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Benito Torres, a senior caseworker for Escobar, falsely claimed to be legal counsel for detainees at the Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso. Lyons said the alleged conduct occurred at least 11 times, Fox News reported.
“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.
Lyons said Torres is now barred from entering any ICE facility following the alleged violations. Officials said Torres brought a cellphone into the detention center, which is prohibited under facility rules.
“As a result of bringing a cell phone into the Camp East Montana facility, contrary to facility visitation policy, Mr. Torres’ misrepresentation that he is a licensed attorney to gain access to detainees, his improper meetings with groups of detainees, and his assertions to ICE personnel about the origins of his visit, Mr. Torres is hereby prohibited from accessing any ICE facility,” Lyons wrote.
ICE records show Torres allegedly first misrepresented himself as a lawyer in September 2025, with the most recent incident occurring on Jan. 30. During that visit, officials confronted him, and he admitted he was not an attorney and was visiting in a private capacity, according to the letter.
Authorities said the confrontation followed reports that a cellphone was being passed among detainees inside the facility.
Lyons requested that Escobar provide written responses addressing whether Torres was employed by her office at the time of the visits, whether he is a licensed attorney, and whether she was aware of the alleged actions.
Escobar defended her staffer in a statement, calling Torres “a dedicated public servant” and an Army veteran. She said the allegations were “unfounded.”
“It is worth noting that 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,” Escobar said.
“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,” she added.
Escobar said she stands by her staff. “I stand proudly by the members of my team who have demonstrated nothing but dedication and integrity to serving our nation and our community,” she said.
The congresswoman has previously criticized conditions at the Camp East Montana facility, describing it as “disastrous and inhumane” and calling for its closure.
A similar incident occurred in November when Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., fired a staffer who falsely claimed to be an attorney representing a detainee in an effort to facilitate his release.