Seamus Culleton, an Irish businessman living in the USA for over 20 years, has been detained for nearly six months by ICE without a stated reason, raising concerns over his health and living conditions.
Seamus Culleton, a 45-year-old Irish entrepreneur who has resided in the USA for more than 20 years and is married to an American citizen, has been in detention by the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since September 9, 2025. He has expressed significant distress regarding the conditions of his confinement, claiming that he has lost a considerable amount of weight, suffers from untreated medical issues, and has been subjected to poor sanitary conditions within the detention facilities. As of now, ICE has not provided any information regarding the justification for his prolonged detainment.
Culleton's initial detention took place in facilities near Boston, Massachusetts, after which he was moved to Buffalo, New York, and currently resides in a detention center in El Paso, Texas. Following his first video call with his wife after five months, he reported severe deficiencies in both care and the environment of the detention center. Culleton mentioned that he has experienced noticeable adverse physical changes, including hair loss, and is struggling with untreated wounds and infections. He has also sought antibiotics for four weeks with no fulfillment of his requests, illustrating the inadequate healthcare services available to detainees.
His plight is a stark representation of the challenges faced by immigrants in the US detention system, particularly how detained individuals can without explanation be subjected to severe health risks and psychological stress over long periods. The situation not only underscores significant humanitarian concerns but also raises questions about the operational practices of ICE and the legal frameworks that allow such detentions to occur without transparency or accountability.
