"Speaking from the El Paso facility to Ireland's RTE radio, Culleton implored the taoiseach, Micheal Martin, to raise his case with Donald Trump when he visits the White House next month for St Patrick's Day celebrations. Just try to get me out of here and do all you can, please. It's an absolute torture, psychological and physical torture, Culleton said, adding he did not know how much more he could take. It's just a horrible, horrible, horrible place."
"Originally from County Kilkenny, Culleton, 42, runs a plastering business in the Boston area. After buying supplies at a hardware store on 9 September 2025 he was followed by ICE agents and arrested. Culleton entered the US in 2009 on a visa waiver programme and overstayed the 90-day limit but after marrying a US citizen, Tiffany Smyth, and applying for lawful permanent residence, he obtained a statutory exemption that allowed him to work, according to his lawyer, Ogor Winnie Okoye."
"The detention prevented him from attending the final interview in October for his green card that would have confirmed his legal status, said Okoye. It's inexplicable that this man has been in detention. Culleton's wife in Massachusetts and family in Ireland went public with his story this week in hope of galvanising support for his release."
An Irish man with a valid work permit and no criminal record has been held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas for five months under volatile conditions he describes as psychological and physical torture. He fears the staff more than other detainees and says he fears for his life. He implored the taoiseach, Micheal Martin, to raise his case with Donald Trump during the upcoming White House St Patrick's Day visit. He was arrested after being followed by ICE in September 2025, missed his final green card interview because of detention, and his family are seeking support for his release.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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