The Department of Homeland Security has revealed a staffer for Democrat Senator Tammy Duckworth allegedly posed as a lawyer in an attempt to release an illegal immigrant. According to a letter by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a staffer for Duckworth posed as an attorney to facilitate the release of a 40-year-old illegal immigrant previously convicted of four DUIs. The letter states that the individual, identified as Edward York, entered an ICE facility in St. Louis, Illinois, on Oct. 29, and claimed to be the attorney of Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval—a 40-year-old illegal immigrant who had been deported four times to Mexico and had a DUI conviction.

During the visit, York successfully met with Ayuzo and obtained a G-28 form, which allows an attorney to represent a client on immigration matters. However, the staffer then tried to submit the form without Sandoval’s signature, even after having completed the G-28 form in person. Four days later, a Suarez Law Office in Collinsville, Illinois, filed a G-28 electronically that did not have Mr. Ayuzo’s signature, despite York having obtained a signed form. ICE noted that it could not verify York was an attorney and became suspicious of the picture when they discovered a post to Facebook describing the incident. The post, put up by the Montgomery County Illinois Democrats’ page, described that a staffer had gone to a field office with a packet of documents and a release order with the intention of misrepresenting himself to law enforcement.

ICE requested a response from Duckworth’s office no later than Nov. 17, demanding answers surrounding York’s employment, whether he knowingly lied on government documents, and whether he acted with the knowledge of other members of Duckworth’s staff. “I implore all members of the US House of Representatives and Senate, as well as their staff, to stop the political games that put law enforcement and detainees at risk,” Lyons wrote. “It is my sincere hope that you will advocate on behalf of your constituents who have been victimized by illegal alien crime and work with DHS to remove these criminals from the United States.”