Kilkenny man with US work permit held illegally by ICE for 5 months

Seamus Culleton has lived in the US for over 20 years.

Seamus Culleton, who is married to a US citizen and owns a plastering business in Boston, was arrested last September after being pulled over by ICE on his way home from work.

Upon his arrst, Culleton said he was carrying a Massachusetts driving licence as well as a valid work permit issued by the US government.

His work permit was issued as part of his green card application which he began in April 2025 and for which he has a final interview remaining.

He has been held in an ICE detention facility near Texas since his arrest despite having no criminal record.

Speaking over a phone interview from the facility, the man described the facility's conditions as 'like a concentration camp, absolute hell'.

A bond hearing was held in November at which a judge approved his release on a $4,000 bond, which was paid by his wife.

However, they later learned that the US government had denied the bond.

A recent article by The New York Times revealed that 'federal judges have found that the Trump administration has been ignoring longstanding legal interpretations that mandate the release of many people who are taken into immigration custody if they post a bond'.

The man's attorney appealed the case to a federal court, where two ICE agents claimed that Culleton had signed several documents agreeing to be deported when he was first detained, something he strongly denies.

“My whole life is here [in the US]. I worked so hard to build my business. My wife is here,” he said.

While the judge did note numerous irregularities on ICE's court documents, she still ultimately sided with them.

While Culleton cannot appeal this decision under US law, he would like such signatures to be examined by handwriting experts and for the video of his initial interview to be reviewed to prove he did not sign deportation documents.

The man said waiting to see how his situation goes is 'psychological torture'.

He claimed that facility officials attempted to get him to sign a deportation order last week, which he refused.

“You have one section of the government trying to deport me, and another trying to give me a green card."

His wife, Tiffany Smyth, said she has endured 'five months of heartbreak, stress, anxiety and anger'.

“I would never wish this on anyone or their family. I am still praying for a miracle every day.”

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said the department is 'aware of this case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of individual cases'.