❓WHAT HAPPENED: A staffer for Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) allegedly posed as an attorney to attempt to release an illegal immigrant from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Edward York, a staffer for Sen. Duckworth, and Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval, a 40-year-old illegal immigrant with a criminal record.
📍WHEN & WHERE: October 29, at an ICE facility in East St. Louis, Illinois, with a letter sent to Sen. Duckworth by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This staff member allegedly did so to gain access to the detainee and seek his release from custody, and he accomplished it by falsifying an official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) form.” – ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons
🎯IMPACT: DHS is demanding answers from Sen. Duckworth’s office regarding York’s actions and whether other staff members were aware of his conduct.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is accusing a staffer for Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) of misrepresenting himself as an attorney in an attempt to secure the release of an illegal immigrant from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. According to a letter to Sen. Duckworth issued by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, the staffer, Edward York, entered an ICE facility in East St. Louis, Illinois, on October 29 and claimed to be the attorney for Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval, a 40-year-old illegal immigrant who has been deported four times and has a DUI conviction.
Lyons states York demanded to speak with his “client” and facilitated the signing of a G-28 form, which allows a lawyer to represent a client on immigration matters. “Four days later, a Suarez Law Office in Collinsville, Illinois filed a G-28 electronically that did not have Mr. Ayuzo’s signature, even though Mr. York, who claimed to work for the law firm, had already obtained a signed form. It appears as if Mr. York may have collaborated with the firm to cover his misrepresentation,” the ICE Acting Director alleges. Notably, ICE says it could not verify that York was a lawyer.
The letter also states that ICE discovered a Facebook post from the Montgomery County Illinois Democrats, which described a staffer visiting an ICE field office with documents and a release order, allegedly misrepresenting himself to law enforcement. Lyons has requested that Duckworth’s office respond by November 17, providing answers about York’s employment, whether he knowingly falsified government documents, and if other staff members were aware of his actions.
“I implore all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, as well as their staff, to stop the political games that put law enforcement and detainees at risk,” Lyons added. He urged Duckworth to advocate for constituents affected by illegal immigrant crime and to work with DHS to address these issues.
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