A high-profile ICE detention case could tarnish an upcoming traditional holiday reunion between Trump and a European leader.
The case of Seamus Culleton, an Irishman who was arrested by ICE in September and has been held by the agency for five months, has reached the ears of his home country ahead of the Irish Prime Minister’s annual St. Patrick’s Day trip to the White House.
Ireland’s Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, said on Tuesday that the country will do “everything we can” to free Culleton, who came to the U.S. in 2009 under the Visa Waiver Program but overstayed his 90-day limit, which is a civil—not a criminal—violation.
Culleton is married to an American citizen, Tiffany Smith, and has one final interview in his green card process, which he started in April 2025. He also operates a small plastering business in Massachusetts, for which he has a statutory exemption that allows him to work.
Martin is scheduled to visit the White House and Capitol Hill next month as part of a diplomatic tradition dating back to 1952.
Customarily, the Taoiseach of Ireland visits the White House on March 17 to present the president with a bowl of shamrock and discuss relations between the two countries.
Opposition leaders in the Irish Parliament pressured Martin to prioritize Culleton’s release from ICE custody on Tuesday, accusing him of tolerating the inhumane treatment of Irish citizens to stay on Trump’s good side economically.
Ahead of their annual meeting, the Irish leadership is worried about upsetting Trump, who could impose additional tariffs on the nation at the drop of a hat.
“You must commit now on the floor of the Dáil to pulling out every stop, using every diplomatic lever, to secure Seamus’ release,” said Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik, according to Politico. “No delays, no waiting for St. Patrick’s Day.”
Culleton’s case has been plastered across Irish media since The Irish Times first published his story on Monday, when he also spoke live on the air of Ireland’s RTÉ radio station.
He described his conditions in ICE detainment as being “like a modern-day concentration camp,” telling RTÉ that “there’s no real quality of life here.”
On Sept. 9, Culleton, who has no criminal record and has lived in the U.S for 16 years, was arrested by ICE after local police in Massachusetts did a license plate check on his car in a Home Depot parking lot. On Sept. 11, he was transferred to an ICE facility in Buffalo, New York, and was later sent to a detention center in Texas.
When asked for comment about Ireland stepping in for Culleton’s detention case, DHS shared a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, which had been previously shared with The Daily Beast earlier in the day.
“[Culleton] received full due process and was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on September 10, 2025,” McLaughlin, who is of Irish descent, said in the statement. “He was offered the chance to instantly be removed to Ireland but chose to stay in ICE custody, in fact he took affirmative steps to remain in detention.”
According to court documents obtained by the Daily Beast, Culleton did not receive an order of removal from an immigration judge on Sept. 10; he was served an order of removal by ICE, not an immigration judge, on Nov. 14. Culleton appealed the order three days later on Nov. 17.
“A pending green card application and work authorization does not give someone legal status to be in our country,” McLaughlin continued. “These claim [sic] that there are subprime conditions at ICE facilities are FALSE. ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.”
Culleton’s attorney, Ogor Winnie Okoye, told the Daily Beast that McLaughlin’s statement was “legally and factually incorrect,” adding that she’s “never seen anything like this” in terms of how Culleton’s case was handled.
Okoye said Culleton is a small-business owner who has made a positive impact on his community, and that “if [ICE] releases him today, he can attend his interview today, and get his green card today.”
When contacted by the Daily Beast, the White House referred questions to ICE.
