Evidence Reveals Staff from Rep. Veronica Escobar Misled Detainees

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has put forth new evidence indicating that Texas Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar’s staff interacted with detainees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities while falsely claiming to be their legal representatives, allegedly to smuggle in cell phones.

In a letter from March, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons addressed concerns regarding Benito Torres, a senior caseworker on Escobar’s team, who misrepresented himself as a lawyer to detainees at the Camp East Montana facility located in El Paso.

Lyons sought clarification from Escobar about the alleged actions of Torres.

However, according to DHS, Escobar opted not to answer truthfully and instead defended Torres, seemingly attempting to mislead the public.

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DHS previously released sign-in logs that purportedly showed Torres visiting as an “attorney.” Lyons noted that records indicate Torres began misrepresenting himself in this manner as early as September 2025.

A memo dated February 18 revealed that during a January 23 visit, Torres posed as a lawyer and sought meetings with 22 detainees. It concluded that he did not qualify as a legal expert.

The most recent incident occurred on January 30.

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DHS stated, “Torres lied about being an attorney to gain access to ICE detention facilities. He made repeated false claims over several months and engaged directly with detainees without being an actual legal advisor.” Furthermore, it’s reported that he handed his phone to multiple detainees during a visit in January 2026, which raised substantial security concerns.

“Such actions undermine ICE’s mission to enforce immigration laws and manage the status of illegal aliens,” the statement continued.

Fox News Digital reached out for statements from both DHS and Escobar’s office.

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Initially facing the charges brought forth by DHS, Escobar characterized Torres as a “dedicated public servant” and a “veteran,” dismissing the accusations against him as “baseless.” She also pointed fingers at the facility, criticizing the Trump administration for using intimidatory tactics.

In her various communications, Escobar highlighted issues like deaths, disease outbreaks, and inadequate legal representation at the facility, expressing frustration over ICE’s lack of engagement with her multiple inquiries.

Escobar continued to emphasize the harm posed by the existing immigrant detention network, claiming it serves as an instrument of inhumanity.

Following the revelations, Torres has been prohibited from entering ICE facilities.