An Irishman who overstayed his 90-day vacationer visa greater than 15 years in the past has been held in a Texas immigration detention facility for practically 5 months somewhat than be deported, regardless of calling it a type of “torture.”
Seamus Culleton, who’s married to an American girl, advised Irish media that he has a legitimate US work allow and a pending inexperienced card software when he was instantly picked up by brokers in Boston, the place he runs a building firm.
He was cuffed and finally flown greater than 2,000 miles from dwelling to a camp facility at Fort Bliss Military base in Texas, the place he alleges he’s been locked in the identical “filthy” room.
“It’s a nightmare down right here,” Culleton complained to RTE, caiming he’s “in concern for my life.”
“It’s only a torture, I simply don’t understand how far more I can take.”
The Kilkenny native claimed that he didn’t know why he was being held — whereas admitting that he refused to signal papers approving his deportation.
Division of Homeland Safety spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin cited that as proof that the Irishman selected to remain in detention, whereas stressing he was solely within the nation by overstaying his preliminary vacationer visa.
“He entered america in 2009 below the visa waiver program, which lets you keep within the US for 90 days with no visa. He did not depart the US,” she stated in an announcement on X.
“He obtained full due course of and was issued a remaining order of elimination by an immigration decide on September 10, 2025,” McLaughlin continued.
“He was provided the prospect to immediately be eliminated to Eire however selected to remain in ICE custody, actually he took affirmative steps to stay in detention,” she burdened.
Culleton stated he was initially pulled over by the feds on Sept. 9 after he’d stopped at a Dwelling Depot to return some gadgets in his van.
“I complied with all the things they stated. They requested me if I had a inexperienced card, I stated I didn’t, I stated I used to be married to a citizen and that I had a marriage-based petition in place and I used to be nearly to obtain my inexperienced card and that I had a piece allow to be right here and work,” he claimed.
He added that he believed he was OK, provided that he had obtained a piece allow roughly a month earlier.
His spouse,Tiffany Smyth, recalled getting the decision from her husband. “He rang me and he stated ‘don’t freak out’, I stated ‘what’s improper?’ and he stated ‘ICE picked me up,” she advised RTE.
Culleton was initially taken to a holding cell in Burlington, Massachusetts, earlier than being transferred to the detention camp facility at Fort Bliss Military base in Texas.
As his case made it’s method by way of the immigration courts, Culleton claims he has been pressured to endure torturous situations which have left him fearing for his life.
“You don’t know what’s going to occur on a day-to-day foundation. You don’t know if there’s going to be riots, you don’t know what’s going to occur,” Culleton stated, saying he has been locked in the identical room for months.
“I’ve barely any exterior time, no contemporary air, no sunshine. We’ve two TVs on the wall, there are 72 detainees right here in complete. We get three meals a day, very very small meals – child measurement meals, so all people is hungry,” he stated, including that the “fully nasty” loos are “very hardly ever cleaned.”
Culleton’s sister, Caroline, referred to as the second her brother was picked up “the beginning of the entire nightmare.”
“His entire life simply ended that day, it was placed on maintain.”
Politicians within the detained man’s native Eire have vowed to complain to the White Home about his case.
