An employee of Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is under scrutiny for allegedly impersonating a lawyer in an effort to assist an undocumented immigrant in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Reports indicate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revealed that Edward York, who works in Duckworth’s office, posed as a legal representative for detained immigrants to facilitate their release from ICE.
On Wednesday, Todd Lyons, the Acting ICE Director, conveyed to Duckworth that York claimed to be the attorney for an undocumented immigrant named Jose Ysmir Ayuzo Sandoval.
York, who holds the position of constitutional advocacy coordinator in Duckworth’s Senate office, entered an ICE facility in St. Louis, Illinois, on October 29. During his discussions with federal agents, he asserted that he was the attorney for Mr. Ayuzo, Lyons said in his letter to Duckworth.
Following that, York sought to communicate with the “client,” implying that he aimed to contact the detainee to secure their release—an act he allegedly facilitated by forging official DHS documents.
While at the facility, York met with Ayuzo, a 40-year-old undocumented immigrant who has faced deportation from the U.S. four times and has a DUI conviction. He managed to have Ayuzo sign a G-28 form.
The G-28 form is essential for attorneys to represent clients in immigration issues, granting them the authority to handle official correspondence with government entities.
After obtaining the release order, York reportedly tried to submit documents lacking the immigrant’s signature, as outlined in Lyons’s letter.
“Just four days later, the Suarez Law Firm from Collinsville, Illinois, filed a G-28 document electronically without Mr. Ayuzo’s signature, despite York’s prior acquisition of a signed form,” the letter stated.
Lyons noted that it seems York “might have collaborated with the firm to conceal his deceptive claims” and mentioned that ICE could not confirm if Duckworth’s staff members are licensed attorneys.
ICE’s suspicions grew with the revelation of a Facebook post by the Montgomery County, Illinois Democratic Party, which detailed the situation.
This post described an interaction in which an officer arrived at a field office, presenting documents with a release order in an attempt to provide a false identity to law enforcement, according to the letter.
DHS is currently demanding clarification from Duckworth’s office regarding York’s alleged misrepresentations at ICE facilities.
Lyons is seeking information on York’s employment status and whether he intentionally falsified government documents or did so with the knowledge of other staff members in Duckworth’s office, Fox News reported.
“I urge all members of the U.S. House and Senate and their teams to cease the political maneuvering that jeopardizes both law enforcement and detainees,” Lyons wrote.
“On behalf of my constituents who have suffered due to crimes committed by undocumented individuals, I truly hope you will collaborate with DHS to remove these offenders from the U.S.,” the acting ICE director added.
Lyons has requested that Duckworth’s office provide responses to his inquiries by Monday at the latest.
