An Irish man has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for five long months, despite holding a legitimate work permit. His wife is urgently calling for support to secure his release from what she describes as "dire conditions" in detention.
During a press conference held on Wednesday, Tiffany Smyth, the wife of Seamus Culleton, expressed her deep desire for his return home. "I just want him back where he belongs. We need to finish what we started together," she stated, conveying the emotional toll this situation has taken on their family. "Seamus is a good person who does not deserve this treatment. It’s truly heartbreaking. I can't believe how I’ve managed to get through these past five months; it’s been unbearable, and I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone."
Smyth, a lifelong resident of the Boston area and a US citizen, shared her anguish over her husband's predicament. Culleton, originally from County Kilkenny, Ireland, runs a plastering business in the Boston region. He was apprehended by ICE agents on September 9, 2025, after being followed by them.
In an interview with Ireland’s RTÉ radio, Culleton described the conditions at his detention facility in Texas as comparable to "torture," highlighting a tense atmosphere that leaves him fearing for his safety. His attorney, Ogor Winnie Okoye, noted that he has been moved multiple times between different ICE facilities, including a transfer to El Paso, Texas.
Culleton first arrived in the United States in 2009 through a visa waiver program but overstayed his permitted 90-day limit. However, after marrying a US citizen and applying for lawful permanent residency, he received a statutory exemption that allowed him to work legally.
"Culleton remains in ICE detention under extremely harsh conditions," Okoye stated. "His removal from the United States could happen at any moment."
"We are advocating for his immediate release so he can continue the process of adjusting his status to that of a lawful permanent resident, which is already underway and could be finalized if he is released," she added.
Culleton was apprehended while he was outside a Home Depot in Saugus, Massachusetts, where he was returning some items he had purchased. Okoye believes that ICE agents identified him as a non-citizen by checking his license plate. Home Depot locations have increasingly become targets for ICE operations, as many undocumented workers gather in their parking lots, seeking day labor opportunities in areas such as painting, landscaping, or roofing.
Okoye emphasized that her client is an ideal candidate for favorable discretion from the government, noting that he poses no flight risk and has no criminal record.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has stated that they are providing consular assistance through the Irish consulate in Austin, Texas, while the embassy in Washington is engaging with officials from the US Department of Homeland Security at a senior level.
