Irish man with valid US work permit held in ICE detention for five months

5 hours ago

Copy Link

Seamus Culleton, an Irish man, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for five months despite having a valid work permit and no criminal record.
Culleton, married to a US citizen and running a plastering business in Boston, was arrested in a random immigration sweep in September 2025.
He is currently held in a squalid detention center in El Paso, Texas, sharing a cell with over 70 men, describing conditions as 'like a concentration camp, absolute hell'.
Culleton refused to sign deportation documents, contesting his arrest on grounds of his marriage to a US citizen and valid work permit.
A judge approved his release on bond, but ICE continued to detain him, allegedly based on falsified documents claiming he agreed to deportation.
Culleton's case highlights systemic issues within ICE, including ineptitude and capriciousness, as noted by his lawyer.
His wife, Tiffany Smyth, and family in Ireland report severe physical and mental health deterioration due to detention conditions.
The Irish government noted a 330% increase in Irish citizens seeking consular assistance for US deportation cases from 2024 to 2025.

Hasty Briefsbeta