February 9, 2026
ICE, work permits, and a paper trail on fire
Irish man with valid US work permit held in ICE detention for five months
Model immigrant or system meltdown? Commenters cry foul, others see missing context
TLDR: An Irish man married to a U.S. citizen says he spent five months in ICE detention despite a valid work permit, sparking fury over due process and detention conditions. Commenters split between outrage at alleged forged paperwork and legal sticklers pointing to visa-waiver fine print and business-permit debates.
The internet is on fire over a story about Seamus Culleton, an Irish man married to a U.S. citizen who says he spent five months in ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention despite a valid work permit tied to his green card application. Outrage came fast: one top commenter begged everyone to actually read the article, citing alleged “fake signature” drama, scary detention conditions, and even a judge’s bond order that didn’t free him. Cue the pitchforks and Constitution talk.
But then the contrarians rolled in. Skeptics argued the piece is leaving out key facts. One user called it “sophisticated co-mingling of facts,” pointing to claims that pre–green card work permits don’t normally let you run a business. Another linked an earlier thread, while a legal-minded commenter dropped a court order and reminded everyone the Visa Waiver Program (the 90-day tourist entry Culleton overstayed) can sharply limit appeals—translation: the fine print bites.
So: Team “due process is on fire” versus Team “the headline misleads.” Meanwhile, meme lords chimed in with gallows humor about “ICE with no chill,” and the debate ping-ponged between human story and legal gotchas. It’s messy, heated, and very online—and nobody agrees on what the real scandal is, the system or the spin.
Key Points
- •Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit and no criminal record, has been detained by ICE for five months and faces deportation.
- •He overstayed a Visa Waiver entry from 2009 but later married a US citizen and applied for a green card with work authorization; detention caused him to miss his final interview.
- •A judge approved his release on a $4,000 bond, but ICE kept him detained; ICE agents later claimed he signed deportation documents, which he denies.
- •A judge noted irregularities in ICE filings but ruled for the agency; the article states Culleton cannot appeal under US law and seeks handwriting and video evidence.
- •He reported poor conditions in an El Paso facility; the article cites similar prior cases involving Irish nationals detained by ICE.