Irish Detainee Held by ICE for Months Says Conditions Are 'Absolute Torture', Appeals for Diplomatic Intervention

An Irish man detained for five months by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas says conditions amount to "absolute torture" and has asked Ireland's government to intervene.

Seamus Culleton, 42, originally from County Kilkenny and living in the Boston area, told Ireland's RTÉ radio from an ICE facility in El Paso that he fears for his safety and described daily conditions as degrading. "I'm not in fear of the other inmates. I'm afraid of the staff. They're capable of anything," he said, adding:

"Just try to get me out of here and do all you can, please. It's an absolute torture, psychological and physical torture. It's just a horrible, horrible, horrible place"

Culleton told RTÉ that he has been held in the same room for months with more than 70 other detainees, with limited access to fresh air and small meals. "You don't know what's going to happen on a day-to-day basis... It's a nightmare down here." He described showers and toilets as "filthy" and meals as "kid size," adding: "So everybody is hungry."

• ICE Detaining Migrants for Months Despite Torture Protection, Lawyers Say: 'They're Just Holding These People Indefinitely'
• Letters From Children Detail Life Inside Texas Immigration Detention Center: 'I Miss My School and My Friends'

Culleton entered the United States in 2009 on a visa waiver and later overstayed. After marrying a U.S. citizen and applying for permanent residence, he received a work permit tied to his pending green card case. His lawyer, Ogor Winnie Okoye, told The Guardian that his detention prevented him from attending a final green card interview and said that "it's inexplicable that this man has been in detention."

Culleton told RTÉ he was arrested in September 2025 after leaving a hardware store, when multiple ICE vehicles stopped him. He said officers proceeded with the arrest despite his valid work authorization based on his marriage petition.

He has publicly asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin to raise his case with the president during a planned White House visit. "Just try to get me out of here and do all you can, please," he told RTÉ. "I'll take any help I can get now at this point."

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs said that it is providing consular assistance through its Austin consulate and that its Washington embassy is engaging with the Department of Homeland Security at a senior level, according to The Guardian.

© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.