Irish man detained by ICE since Sept. 2025 despite valid work permit and pending green card.

Seamus Culleton, an Irish man living in the U.S. for 20 years, has been detained by ICE since September 2025 despite holding a valid work permit, being married to a U.S. citizen, and having a pending green card application. Arrested while driving with a Massachusetts license, he was held in multiple facilities, including a crowded, unsanitary tent in El Paso housing 72 people, where he described conditions as inhumane, citing overcrowding, poor food, lack of medical care, and psychological distress. He claims he was pressured to sign deportation papers he did not sign and has requested handwriting analysis. His wife and family say they’ve faced difficulties contacting him or visiting, and his health has deteriorated. The Irish government is providing consular assistance, and Culleton has asked Prime Minister Micheál Martin to raise his case with President Donald Trump during a planned meeting.