ICE Says Escobar Staffer Posed as Lawyer, Smuggled Phone Into Texas Detention Facility
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has formally accused Benito Torres, a senior caseworker for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, of repeatedly lying about being an attorney to gain access to detainees at the Camp East Montana ICE facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso and of smuggling in a cell phone. In a letter to Escobar dated Thursday, Lyons says facility logs show Torres falsely listed himself as a lawyer at least 11 times since September 2025, conducted improper group meetings with detainees and violated a clear ban on cell phones inside ICE detention centers. During the most recent visit on Jan. 30, officials confronted Torres after reports someone was passing a phone among detainees; he allegedly admitted he was not an attorney and claimed to be visiting in a private capacity. ICE has now barred Torres from all ICE facilities and is demanding Escobar answer written questions on whether he was on her staff during the visits, whether she knew of or condones the conduct, and whether he is licensed to practice law. The incident comes as Escobar has been a vocal critic of Camp East Montana as 'disastrous and inhumane,' and follows a similar 2025 case in which Sen. Tammy Duckworth fired a staffer for falsely claiming to be an immigrant’s lawyer to facilitate his release, raising broader questions about congressional oversight tactics and security at federal detention sites.
📌 Key Facts
- Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent Rep. Veronica Escobar a letter Thursday alleging that senior caseworker Benito Torres falsely claimed to be a detainee’s attorney at least 11 times at the Camp East Montana ICE facility in El Paso.
- Lyons says Torres violated detention standards by bringing a cell phone into the facility, passing it to multiple detainees, and holding improper group meetings, in breach of visitation and security protocols.
- Torres was confronted on Jan. 30 after staff learned of a phone being passed among detainees; he then admitted he was not an attorney and said he was visiting as a private individual.
- ICE has now prohibited Torres from accessing any ICE facility and has asked Escobar to answer written questions about his employment status on the visit dates, his licensure, her knowledge of the conduct, and whether she will hold him accountable.
- The article notes a similar November incident in which Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., fired staffer Edward York after he falsely claimed to represent an undocumented immigrant, highlighting a pattern of congressional aides misrepresenting their roles to gain access to detainees.
📊 Relevant Data
In fiscal year 2024, Latinos accounted for approximately 90% of ICE arrests, highlighting a significant overrepresentation compared to their share of the undocumented population.
UCLA Report Finds Latino Arrests by ICE Have Skyrocketed Under the Trump Administration's Second Term — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
There were 32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025, marking the deadliest year in ICE detention since 2004.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died — The Guardian
Black immigrants in ICE detention are less likely to be released on bond compared to other groups, illuminating racial disparities in detention outcomes.
Snapshot of ICE Detention — National Immigrant Justice Center
Monthly detentions of Latinos without criminal records increased sixfold from February 2024 through September 2025 compared to the final year of the Biden administration.
New Analysis Reveals Sharp Rise in ICE Detention of Immigrants with No Criminal Convictions — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
ICE is terminating the contractor for Camp East Montana due to substandard conditions, following reports of serious medical and mental health emergencies at the facility.
ICE replaces contractor at largest detention camp over conditions — The Virginian-Pilot
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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