Irish Immigrant Detained in Texas ‘Hell’ Despite Valid Work Permit and Pending Green Card
EL PASO, Texas — An Irish national who has lived in the United States for nearly two decades is currently being held in a federal detention facility in Texas, where he describes conditions as “absolute hell.” Seamus Culleton, a plastering business owner from County Kilkenny, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in September 2025 during what has been described as a random immigration sweep in Boston. He remains in custody five months later, despite having a valid work permit, no criminal record, and a pending green card application based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen.
“Like a Concentration Camp”
Speaking from an ICE facility in El Paso, Texas, Culleton, who is in his late 40s, detailed a harrowing confinement. He reports sharing a single large room with more than 70 other men, where detainees are forced to survive on “child-sized” food portions. “It’s like a concentration camp, absolute hell,” Culleton told The Irish Times, which first broke the story. He described an environment rife with illness, claiming that COVID-19 and influenza are circulating through the pods while hygiene products like soap and shampoo are frequently unavailable.
“The showers are filthy, the toilets are filthy. Infection, disease, and sickness is rife here,” Culleton said. He further alleged that fights often break out among detainees over the meager food rations, including “little child-sized juice containers.”
Legal Limbo and Disputed Documents
Culleton’s detention has sparked outrage and confusion given his legal status. According to his attorney, Ogor Winnie Okoye, Culleton entered the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program in 2009. Although he overstayed the original 90-day limit, he obtained a statutory exemption allowing him to work after marrying his American wife, Tiffany Smyth, and applying for a green card in April 2025.
At the time of his arrest, Culleton was carrying a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and his federal work authorization card. He was reportedly just weeks away from his final green card interview—a crucial appointment he was forced to miss due to his detention.
The legal battle has been complicated by disputed paperwork. After his initial arrest, Culleton was flown to a facility in Buffalo, New York. There, ICE agents allege he signed documents agreeing to his own deportation. Culleton vehemently denies this, stating he refused to sign any deportation orders and instead checked a box indicating his intent to contest the arrest based on his marriage and legal work status. His legal team is now calling for handwriting analysis to prove the signatures on the government’s documents are not his.
Despite a judge approving a $4,000 bond for his release in November—which his wife promptly paid—the federal government intervened to deny the bond, keeping him in custody without initially providing a clear explanation.
Political Fallout and Growing Concern
The case has drawn the attention of Irish politicians, who are calling on the Department of Foreign Affairs to intervene. Labour TD Duncan Smith described Culleton’s testimony as “absolutely harrowing” and noted that it aligns with reports from immigration lawyers regarding the “very real and disturbing conditions” Irish citizens face in U.S. detention. Data indicates that between January and September 2025 alone, 99 Irish citizens were deported from the U.S., signaling a potential intensification of enforcement actions.
Senator Patricia Stephenson has urged Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee to prioritize the case, citing the “human rights abuses” described by Culleton. “Seamus has been residing legally in the U.S. for 20 years… He is a model immigrant,” Stephenson said.
A Family’s Nightmare
Back in Massachusetts, Culleton’s wife, Tiffany Smyth, expressed her devastation. “To know he was just taken, and he or I had no idea where they were taking him, was traumatizing,” she said. The couple, who were hoping to start a family, have reportedly spent over $15,000 in legal fees since September.
“My whole life is here. I worked so hard to build my business. My wife is here,” Culleton said from his cell, pleading for assistance. “I just want to get back to my wife.”
As of Monday, Culleton remains detained in El Paso, awaiting a resolution that could either see him reunited with his family or deported to a country he left decades ago.
* corkbeo.ie
* thejournal.ie
* newrepublic.com
* irishtimes.com
* thedailybeast.com
* irishstar.com
* theguardian.com
* mexc.co
* socialdemocrats.ie
