Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Monday she had dismissed a staff member who posed as an immigration lawyer to secure the release of his illegal immigrant “client” from custody.
Duckworth (D-Ill.) told acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons in a letter obtained by Fox News that “neither I, nor my leadership was aware of, authorized, or directed” the actions of Edward York, a constituent outreach coordinator in the senator’s office.
“My office has terminated the employment of said employee, effective November 17, 2025,” Duckworth added.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, York bluffed his way into a meeting with Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval — a 40-year-old illegal immigrant with a DUI conviction who had previously deported four times to Mexico — on Oct. 29 at an ICE office in St. Louis.
As Lyons reported to Duckworth in a Nov. 12 letter, York was able to meet with Ayuzo and got him to sign a so-called G-28 form, ostensibly confirming York as his legal representative.
On Nov. 2, four days after York’s visit, “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,” Lyons wrote.
The acting ICE director had given Duckworth a Monday deadline to give an update on York’s employment status and clarify whether he knowingly lied on official documents or acted with the assistance of others on the senator’s staff.
Duckworth, 57, has represented Illinois in the Senate since 2017 after serving four years in the House of Representatives.
