DHS Releases Evidence Alleging Escobar Staffer Falsely Claimed to Be ICE Attorney
The Department of Homeland Security has released additional internal records it says show Benito Torres, a senior caseworker for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D‑Texas, repeatedly misrepresented himself as an attorney to gain expanded access to detainees at the Camp East Montana ICE facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso. A DHS statement, backed by sign‑in logs and a Feb. 18 memo, alleges Torres began identifying himself as a lawyer in September 2025, tried to see 22 detainees on Jan. 23, 2026, as supposed legal counsel, and on Jan. 30 passed a cell phone among multiple detainees in violation of security protocols. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons previously notified Escobar and asked for answers; DHS now accuses her of refusing to respond substantively and instead publicly defending Torres while attacking ICE as retaliatory. Escobar has called the allegations "unfounded," praised Torres as an Army veteran and dedicated public servant, and argued ICE is trying to intimidate members of Congress who are probing deaths, disease outbreaks, and alleged abuse at the facility. The episode highlights an intensifying fight between the Trump‑era DHS leadership and Democratic lawmakers over access, oversight and security at immigration detention centers, with partisan commentators online splitting sharply over whether this is whistleblowing gone too far or a politically motivated crackdown on a congressional critic.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS says senior Escobar aide Benito Torres first misrepresented himself as a legal professional in ICE records in September 2025.
- A Feb. 18, 2026 memo cited by DHS describes Torres falsely claiming to be an attorney on Jan. 23 to request meetings with 22 detainees at Camp East Montana.
- DHS alleges Torres again claimed attorney status on Jan. 30, 2026, and passed a phone among multiple detainees, which DHS calls a "dangerous violation" of facility security rules.
- Rep. Escobar has publicly rejected the allegations as "unfounded," accused ICE of intimidation and obstruction of oversight, and defended Torres as a dedicated Army veteran staffer.
- DHS released sign‑in log images and its own statement on April 2, 2026, escalating a previously private dispute into a public clash over congressional access and conduct inside ICE facilities.
📊 Relevant Data
As of mid-December 2025, ICE was holding 68,440 people in detention, a 78% increase from mid-December 2024, with the majority being noncriminal detainees.
ICE Inspections Plummeted as Detentions Soared in 2025 — POGO
In 2025, 33 people died in ICE custody, and as of early 2026, 14 deaths have already been reported, tripling the 11 deaths in 2024.
14 ICE detainees have died so far in 2026 — NBC News
At least 14 active measles cases were reported at the Camp East Montana ICE tent camp in El Paso in March 2026, amid risks of other outbreaks like tuberculosis in expanding detention facilities.
14 measles cases reported at El Paso ICE tent camp — Texas Tribune
Among detained immigrants facing deportation, 44% have no attorney, and immigrants without lawyers are ordered deported in 62% of cases from FY 2019-2024, compared to 27% with representation.
Immigration Court Legal Representation Dashboard — Vera Institute
Black immigrants are more likely than other groups to be detained by ICE, spend more time in custody, and be deported more frequently, with lower rates of release on bond.
ICE Detention and Racial Disparities — Black Pre-Law Society
In 2025, multiple incidents occurred where members of Congress were denied access to ICE facilities, including a case where five lawmakers in California and New York were turned away while trying to inspect detention buildings.
5 Lawmakers in California and New York Are Denied Access to Immigration Buildings — New York Times
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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