ICE say detained man 'violated law' by overstaying visa
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ICE Says Detained Man 'Violated Law' by Overstaying Visa
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Seamus Culleton, a devoted Liverpool FC fan from Ireland, for overstaying his visa, marking him as violating immigration law despite no criminal record.[2] Held in a Boston, Massachusetts ICE detention center for over four months, Culleton faces potential deportation amid the Trump administration's aggressive enforcement campaign.[2]
The case highlights broader tensions in U.S. immigration policy. Overstaying a visa, as in Culleton's situation, is an administrative violation, not a criminal offense, yet ICE pursues detentions aggressively.[1] Similar stories emerge, such as Jeremy, a French national in Syracuse, whose ICE encounter involved agents attempting entry without a criminal warrant—only an administrative one, which legal experts say does not permit forced access to private property.[1] Jeremy and his partner Rick, facing no removal order or infractions, criticized the policy as targeting non-criminals despite promises otherwise.[1]
Court challenges abound, with over 4,400 federal rulings since October declaring such detentions illegal, yet the administration persists, overwhelming the Justice Department with cases handled by 700+ lawyers.[3] Judges, including Bush appointee Thomas Johnston, have condemned the approach as disregarding law, affecting immigrants like Ecuadorean children, Ukrainians with humanitarian status, and U.S. citizen parents.[3] Violations of court orders persist, with 96 breaches in Minnesota alone.[3]
Administration officials defend the crackdown as fulfilling Trump's mandate to enforce federal law, blaming "activist judges."[3] Detainees like Culleton face hurdles: high legal fees ($5,000+ for habeas petitions), lack of awareness, and scarce representation.[3] Culleton has publicly begged for help, decrying his plight as "apostorture."[2] These events underscore a policy prioritizing deportations over prior bond practices, even on federal holidays.[1][3]
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