In a recent development from Chicago, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth has taken decisive action by terminating a staff member, following serious accusations of misconduct. The staffer in question allegedly posed as an attorney and falsified an official document to gain access to a Staunton restaurant owner who was in the custody of immigration authorities.

On Monday, Senator Duckworth formally communicated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons through a letter, a copy of which was obtained by Capitol News Illinois. The letter announced the firing of Edward York, the staff member involved in the incident.

The situation came to light last week when Lyons addressed a letter to Senator Duckworth detailing the allegations against York. The communication also included a series of eight questions, probing whether York’s actions were carried out under the Senator’s directive or with her authorization.

Senator Duckworth responded firmly, stating, “Upon reviewing the matter, I can confirm that neither I, nor my leadership team, was aware of, authorized, or directed what your letter describes as the employee’s conduct.” This clear statement seeks to distance her office from the actions of the now-dismissed staffer.

When approached for comments, Thomas Q. Keefe III, representing York, chose not to provide any statements. Meanwhile, Senator Duckworth’s office released a brief statement to Capitol News Illinois, emphasizing the personnel change. “The employee in question is no longer employed by the Senator’s office. Beyond that, we are not going to discuss personnel matters,” a spokesperson noted in an email.

Furthermore, the spokesperson added a pointed critique towards ICE, stating, “But since ICE suddenly seems to care about accountability, the American people deserve to know if anyone there will be held accountable for lying to federal courts, illegally detaining Americans, or any of the countless other constitutional rights Trump’s ICE agents have been caught on video violating.”

York, a constituent outreach coordinator in Duckworth’s Belleville office, went to the ICE Office in St. Louis on Oct. 29 – hours after agents detained Ismael Ayuzo Sandoval. Ayuzo was detained near his daughter’s school. York claimed to be Ayuzo’s attorney, Lyons’ letter stated, and demanded agents take York to see his client.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

York then asked agents for a G-28 form, known as a Notice of Entry of Appearance as an Attorney or Accredited Representative.

“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,” Lyons stated in the letter.

After Ayuzo signed it, seeking help, York then asked to see Ayuzo, according to Lyons’ letter, and was turned away. He was informed that he needed to visit Ayuzo at the county jail in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, about 65 miles south of St. Louis.

The letter further stated that, under the belief York was Ayuzo’s attorney, the immigration agent shared information with York, including that Ayuzo was deported four times and had a DUI conviction.

After further investigation, Lyons stated that ICE staff could not verify that York was an attorney.

Four days later, the Suarez Law Office in Collinsville filed a G-28.

Social media post

ICE agents later found a social media post on the Montgomery County Democrats’ page, stating that a member of Duckworth’s office went to the St. Louis field office “with a packet of documents including a release order,” Lyons’ letter stated.

Congressional staffers may request help on behalf of someone without legal status, but the detainee must grant permission for ICE to release information to them, according to the ICE website.

Lyons included a photo of the Montgomery County Democrats’ post that stated: “He is going there without giving ‘them’ knowledge he is on the Senator’s staff think they would be more cooperative.”

“It appears as if Mr. York may have collaborated with the firm to cover his misrepresentation,” Lyons’ letter stated.

Lloyd Cueto Jr., Marleen Suarez’s attorney, declined to comment. Suarez could not be reached for comment.

Ayuzo remains in custody in Ste. Genevieve as his attorney, Suarez, continues to fight his deportation. In her petition to stay his deportation filed last week, she stated that Ayuzo was never convicted of DUI, and the traffic case was dismissed after he successfully completed the terms of his supervision.

Ayuzo is a beloved figure in Staunton – a town of around 5,000 people in Macoupin County. Residents there rallied support around Ayuzo, stating he was a good husband and father and a valuable member of the community. Ayuzo, a married father of two, owns a restaurant called Caldera Bar and Grill on Main Street.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Wednesday, Nov. 19, with a comment from Duckworth’s office that was received after the story was published.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.