Irishman Detained by ICE Faces Deportation Amidst Family Dispute and Past Charges
The case of Seamus Culleton, an Irish man detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has taken a complex turn involving allegations of abandonment by his daughters, a past drug offense in Ireland, and ongoing debate over his detention conditions. Culleton, originally from Glenmore, County Kilkenny, has been held in an ICE facility in El Paso, Texas, since September 2025 while applying for a green card.
Deportation Stay and Legal Battles
Culleton’s deportation has been temporarily halted after a court issued a temporary order pausing the process for 10 business days, according to his lawyers at the BOS Legal Group in Boston, Massachusetts Irish Echo. This stay provides a brief respite as his legal team works to secure his release and obtain the necessary immigration relief. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintains that a pending green card application does not guarantee legal status BBC News.
Daughter’s Claims and Family Conflict
The case gained further attention when Culleton publicly described his detention conditions as akin to a “modern day concentration camp” BBC News. However, his daughter, Heather Morrissey (19), disputed his claims and accused him of portraying himself as a victim. Morrissey stated she doesn’t believe the conditions are comparable to a concentration camp and suggested he should return to Ireland if he fears for his safety Irish Echo.
Morrissey and her twin sister, Melissa, claim they were “abandoned” by their father from a young age and that he has not provided any financial support. She expressed a desire for him to face the drug charges he fled from in 2008 and to reconcile with his daughters if he returns to Ireland Irish Echo.
Past Legal Issues in Ireland
In April 2009, a district court in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland, issued a warrant for Culleton’s arrest related to alleged possession of drugs for sale or supply and obstructing a Garda (police officer) The Guardian. He also faced a separate charge for allegedly being intoxicated in public in the same court that same year. Culleton left Ireland before appearing for his hearing, and the warrant was not ultimately executed The Guardian.
Culleton’s Background and Detention Conditions
Culleton entered the United States in 2009 under the visa waiver program, which allows stays of up to 90 days without a visa. He is married to a U.S. Citizen and owns a plastering business in the Boston area, having resided in the U.S. For nearly two decades BBC News. His wife, Tiffany Smyth, maintains he has no criminal record BBC News.
During an interview on RTÉ’s Liveline programme, Culleton described the conditions in the El Paso detention center as “torture,” citing concerns about illness, hygiene, and lack of basic supplies Irish Echo.
ICE Response and Self-Deportation Option
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that Culleton was arrested on September 9, 2025, after overstaying his visa waiver and received a final deportation order from an immigration judge. ICE asserts that Culleton chose to remain in detention and that self-deportation with a $2,600 payment and a free flight is an available option BBC News.