Duckworth staffer dismissed in wake of immigration accusations
[November 19, 2025]
By Beth Hundsdorfer
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has fired a staffer accused of misrepresenting
himself as an attorney and falsifying an official form to visit and
secure the release of a Staunton restaurant owner detained by
immigration agents.
Duckworth sent the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Capitol News
Illinois, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd
Lyons on Monday, notifying him that staffer Edward York has been
terminated
Last week, Lyons sent a letter to Duckworth’s office informing her of
the allegations against York. The letter ended with a request that
Duckworth respond to eight written questions, including whether York
acted under her direction and authorization.
“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,” Duckworth’s letter stated.
Thomas Q. Keefe III, York’s attorney, declined to comment. Duckworth’s
office did not return calls and emails requesting comments.
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.
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.
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Illinois' U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks at an event in
Springfield on Aug. 13, 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry
Nowicki)
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.
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.
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