Irish Daily Mail Confirms Seamus Culleton Held in Texas ICE Detention Amidst Deportation Fears
The Irish Daily Mail has become the first mainstream media outlet to independently confirm that Seamus Culleton, an Irish national and longtime resident of the United States, is currently being held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas. The confirmation brings national attention to a case that has sparked outrage regarding the complexities of the U.S. immigration system and the treatment of detainees.
Deep Search: detention Details and Legal Paradox
Culleton, 42, originally from County Kilkenny, is reportedly confined at the El Paso Camp East Montana, a facility located within the Fort Bliss Army base. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on September 9, 2025, following a targeted stop by ICE agents outside a Home Depot in Saugus, Massachusetts. While the arrest was initially part of a broader sweep, deep scrutiny of his legal status reveals a bureaucratic paradox: at the time of his detention, Culleton possessed a valid, government-issued work permit tied to a pending green card application based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, Tiffany Smyth. Despite this documented status, he was transferred across the country—from Boston to Buffalo, and finally to Texas—preventing him from attending the final immigration interview that could have solidified his permanent residency.
Background: A “Model Immigrant” in Limbo
A fixture in the Boston area for nearly two decades, Culleton owns a successful plastering business and has no criminal record—not even a traffic violation, according to his legal team. He entered the U.S. in 2009 under the Visa Waiver Program and overstayed, a common civil infraction that he was in the process of rectifying through legal channels after his marriage in April 2025. His wife, Tiffany, describes the last five months as “heartbreak, stress, and anxiety,” noting that her husband has lost significant weight and appears jaundiced. Culleton himself has described the conditions in the Texas facility as “absolute hell” and likened the environment to a “concentration camp,” citing squalid sanitation, insufficient food, and a volatile atmosphere shared with over 70 other detainees in a single room.
Objections: The Official DHS Narrative
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputes the characterization of Culleton as a victim of bureaucratic error. In a conflicting statement, a DHS spokesperson categorized Culleton as an “illegal alien” who received full due process. Authorities allege that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on September 10, 2025—just one day after his arrest. Crucially, ICE officials claim that Culleton signed documents agreeing to his immediate deportation to Ireland but later “chose” to remain in custody to fight the order. Culleton’s attorney vehemently denies this, alleging that the signatures on the deportation documents were forged and that Culleton explicitly checked a box indicating his intent to contest the removal. DHS has also rejected allegations regarding poor conditions at the facility, asserting that their detention standards exceed those of many prisons holding U.S. citizens.
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