An Irish construction company owner detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas for nearly five months says he fears for his life and is being held in “torture”-like conditions, prompting a diplomatic effort by the Irish government to secure his release.
Seamus Culleton, 42, from County Kilkenny, was arrested by ICE officers on September 9, 2025, while leaving a Home Depot store in Boston, Massachusetts, according to interviews with Culleton and his wife, Tiffany Smyth. He has been held at the El Paso Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility inside the Fort Bliss Army base in Texas.
Culleton, who has lived in the U.S. For more than 15 years, told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that he informed ICE agents he was married to a U.S. Citizen, had a valid work permit, and was in the process of applying for a green card. “As far as I know I was covered,” he said. “None of that mattered. they cuffed me and took me away.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Culleton entered the U.S. In 2009 under the visa waiver program, exceeding the permitted 90-day stay. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that Culleton received a final order of removal from an immigration judge on September 10, 2025, and chose to remain in ICE custody despite being offered immediate deportation to Ireland. McLaughlin also asserted that a pending green card application and work authorization do not confer legal status.
Culleton describes the conditions inside the facility as overcrowded, filthy, and dangerous. He told RTÉ he is confined to a room with over 70 other men, subjected to constant artificial lighting, and experiences cold, damp conditions. He alleges limited access to food and medical care, and minimal opportunities to go outside. “I’ve been locked in the same room now for four and a half months. I’ve had barely any outside time. No fresh air. No sunshine,” he said. “I’m in fear for my life down here, honestly.”
McLaughlin disputed these claims, stating that allegations of substandard conditions at ICE facilities are “FALSE.”
Culleton said ICE officials initially attempted to persuade him to sign deportation papers, but he refused, opting to pursue his green card application through his wife. Smyth described the shock of her husband’s arrest as “awful” and criticized the opacity of the immigration system. She recounted nearly a week of uncertainty about his whereabouts, eventually locating him through an online ICE detainee tracker.
The case has drawn significant attention in Ireland, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledging the concerns surrounding ICE facilities. “Every country has migration policies, but those ICE facilities are a concern,” Martin told reporters Tuesday. The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach’s office confirmed that consular assistance is being provided and that the Irish Embassy in Washington, D.C., is “engaging directly” with the Department of Homeland Security.
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee stated that her department is currently aware of fewer than a dozen similar cases involving Irish citizens detained by U.S. Immigration enforcement. Irish government figures show a 330% increase in the number of its citizens seeking consular assistance related to deportation by U.S. Immigration enforcement in the past year, rising to 65 cases.
Culleton’s detention comes as ICE is currently holding around 70,000 people in custody, the highest number since the agency’s founding. According to recent data, 74% of those detainees have no criminal convictions.
Taoiseach Martin is scheduled to visit the White House next month for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, a traditionally important diplomatic occasion for Ireland. The Culleton case adds a sensitive dimension to the visit, as Ireland seeks to maintain strong relations with the U.S. While advocating for its citizen’s release.
