Irish Man Held by ICE for Five Months Faces Dire Conditions in US Detention
Tiffany Smyth, a US citizen from Boston, is pleading for help to secure the release of her husband, Seamus Culleton, an Irish man who has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for five months under what she describes as "dire conditions." Culleton, originally from County Kilkenny, Ireland, runs a plastering business in the Boston area and has a valid work permit, yet he was arrested by ICE agents on September 9, 2025, while outside a Home Depot in Saugus, Massachusetts.
Heartbreaking Plea for Release
During a press conference, Smyth expressed her anguish, stating, "I just want him home where he belongs. I want us to be able to finish what we started." She added, "Seamus is a good man. He doesn’t deserve what is going on, and it’s heartbreaking. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I don’t know how I’ve gone on these last five months to be honest, it’s just been awful, and I don’t wish this upon anybody." Smyth emphasized that she has lived her entire life in the Boston area and is a US citizen, highlighting the personal toll of the detention.
Conditions Described as Torture
Culleton has reported that conditions at his detention center in Texas are akin to "torture," with a volatile atmosphere that has left him fearing for his life. According to his lawyer, Ogor Winnie Okoye, he has been transferred multiple times to different ICE facilities, including one in El Paso, Texas. Okoye stated, "Culleton is still in ICE detention under extremely dire conditions. He is in danger of being removed from the United States any day." She argued that he is "the perfect candidate" for favorable discretion, as he is not a flight risk nor involved in criminal activity.
Immigration History and Legal Status
Culleton entered the US in 2009 on a visa waiver program but overstayed the 90-day limit. After marrying Smyth, a US citizen, he applied for lawful permanent residence and obtained a statutory exemption that allowed him to work legally. Okoye is advocating for his immediate release so he can complete the process of adjusting his status to that of a lawful permanent resident. "We’re asking for his immediate release so that he can complete the process of adjusting his status to that of a lawful permanent resident of the United States, a process that’s already started, and the process that might be consummated if he is released from custody," she explained.
ICE Targeting and Consular Assistance
ICE agents apprehended Culleton while he was returning items at a Home Depot, a location known for being a popular site for targeting immigrants, as undocumented laborers often gather in store parking lots seeking work. Okoye believes agents identified him as a non-citizen by running his license plate. In response, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance via the Irish consulate in Austin, Texas, and the embassy in Washington is engaging with the US Department of Homeland Security at a senior level to address the case.
