NCS hosts obtained heated throughout a debate about an Irish man who has been detained by ICE for 5 months.
On Monday, February 9, NCS hosts mentioned an Irish man named Seamus Culleton, who has been detained by ICE for the previous 5 months following his arrest on September 9, 2025. Culleton, from Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny, has been residing within the U.S. for greater than 20 years and owns a plastering enterprise in Boston, Massachusetts.
During Monday’s episode, Jason Rantz talked about that a few one-offs have been caught in the course of ICE’s crackdowns on immigration. Abby Phillip talked about that new information signifies that 40 p.c of the individuals ICE is detaining “have no criminal record,” together with Culleton. Rantz argued that Culleton overstayed a 90 day visa since 2009. This comes after an Irish politician demanded the foreign minister help Culleton, who’s struggling “human rights abuse” whereas locked up by ICE.
Phillip stated, “Like this Irish man who has been in the country for 20 years with a valid work permit, who was months away from a green card interview.” Rantz interjected, “This guy from Ireland who overstayed a 90 day visa since 2009.”
Phillip replied, “That’s an administrative infraction. And under U.S. Law it is perfectly legal for him to rectify his status through marriage to an American citizen, which is exactly what he was doing, which is why he had a valid U.S. work permit, which was issued by the United States government in his pending green card.” Rantz stated individuals are nonetheless topic to the regulation, and that does embody being deported.
Now, Culleton has stated he’s going via “psychological and physical torture” and is pleading for assist from the Irish authorities. He was carrying a sound work allow and a Massachusetts driving license when he was pulled over, and solely had one interview remaining in his inexperienced card utility course of. Now, he’s residing with 72 different individuals in a tent in a Texas detention middle.
Speaking from the ICE facility in Ero El Paso Camp East Montana, Culleton stated he’s at present experiencing “a nightmare.” He instructed RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline, “I’d love for you guys to only attempt to get me out of right here. Do all you possibly can please. It’s absolute torture, psychological torture, bodily torture.
“Everybody’s sick. There’s Covid in each pod. There’s influenza in each pod. It’s only a horrible, horrible, horrible place. It’s very exhausting to remain optimistic in a state of affairs like this. We’re typically with out hygiene merchandise. We’re typically with out shampoo and cleaning soap.
“The showers are filthy, the toilets are filthy. Infection, disease and sickness is right here. I just want to get back to my wife. We were so desperate to start a family.”
Culleton stated it has been extraordinarily exhausting for his household in Ireland, together with his mom, particularly, who’s heartbroken that he is being detained. He stated, “She’s just heartbroken over the whole situation. I don’t want her health to get any worse. She’s constantly worrying and stressing about me. It’s not fair on her.”
Culleton’s spouse Tiffany Smyth stated she will not cease preventing for his launch. She instructed KCLR that her husband has no legal file, not even an unpaid parking ticket.
She stated, “It’s hard to sleep when all I do is worry about him. I can’t believe what’s going on in this country. It’s awful how they are treated there… He is living in hell. I don’t know how he is staying strong like he is. They are awful. The guys are hungry all the time. The facility where they are in the roof leaks and the guys’ beds get wet. They don’t have pillows. The bathrooms are disgusting.”
Smyth hopes that her husband shall be launched earlier than Taoiseach Micheál Martin visits US President Donald Trump within the White House for St Patrick’s Day.