The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday one of Texas Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar's staffers has falsely claimed to be an attorney representing detainees at a federal detention center at least 11 times.

The department claimed the staffer, Benito Torres, told a detention facility that he was an attorney representing multiple people at the center and even signed federal paperwork that attested to the claim.

"The facility administrator discovered that Torres was passing a phone to multiple detainees and spoke to him," the department said. "At that time, Torres admitted he was not an attorney and was visiting as a private citizen."

The department said that a further review of Torres' visit found that he misrepresented himself at least 11 times by claiming he was an attorney or that he was at the facility for "legal reasons." 

Escobar rejected the allegations on her staffer's behalf, accusing the administration of "engaging in intimidation tactics" against Congress members. 

"Today, accusations were made by ICE against one of my caseworkers — a dedicated public servant, Army veteran, and experienced member of my team," she said on X. "I have every reason to believe these allegations are unfounded.

"This administration has a history of engaging in intimidation tactics against Members of Congress as well as continuously attempting to obstruct our ability to provide oversight," she continued. "I stand proudly by the members of my team who have demonstrated nothing but dedication and integrity to serving our nation and our community."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.