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An American dream morphs into a nightmare – The Boston Globe
John Culleton recovered, miraculously, and moved back to Ireland, while Punter Culleton defied all medical expectations and lived a long, purposeful life before he died in 2016 of complications from a surgery designed to improve his quality of life as a quadriplegic.
For all the tragedy visited upon the Culletons in Massachusetts, Seamus Culleton loves Boston, loves the local community in Wakefield that’s embraced him, and loves Americans so much that last year he married one, Tiffany Smith, determined to make his life here forever.
After he and Tiffany got married, Seamus applied for a Green card to legalize his status. By entering that process, he was given a work permit that allowed him to work legally in a country where he had previously worked in the shadows.
All was going well, and he was in the final stages of the Green card process last Sept. 9, when ICE agents staked out the Home Depot in Saugus. After buying some materials for his plastering business, Seamus noticed some agents following him. They pulled him over and arrested him.
They allowed him a single phone call to Tiffany.
“He said, ‘Don’t panic. ICE picked me up.’ I wanted to know where they were bringing him, but ICE wouldn’t say,” Tiffany told me.
That one phone call was it for a week. It’s a tactic that ICE has perfected under the Trump administration, refusing Seamus’ requests to call his lawyer and his family, while they quickly moved him out of Boston, first to Buffalo, then to Texas.
ICE likes Texas because the state is full of judges who are more up on the Ten Commandments than the Constitution, except they always seem to skip over that pesky thing Jesus Christ said about loving your neighbors.
“They want to get you out of Massachusetts as fast as they can, so you won’t have support,” or judges that might challenge the legality of their tactics, Seamus told me over the phone from the detention center in El Paso where he’s been held for nearly five months.
The conditions are appalling, he said. More than 70 men are crowded into a large room, so tensions are high. Detainees fight over the small portions of food they are afforded, Seamus said.
“It’s a modern-day concentration camp, with filth and sickness and disease,” he said. “The people watching over us are inhumane. They are told to leave their humanity at the door, and they do so. It’s a nightmare.”
It is, he says, a nightmare with a purpose: to break down the detainees so they will sign documents consenting to be deported.
ICE claims that’s just what Seamus Culleton did.
Seamus and his lawyer, Ogor Winnie Okoye, say that’s a lie. They say someone in the government forged Seamus’ signature and found a judge in Texas who agreed with ICE even though the judge had no foundation or expertise in handwriting analysis.
Seamus said he has signed papers while in custody, to contest his deportation, not to consent to it.
Oyoke, who has spent her career sticking up for the little guy against an all-powerful government, told me that the government’s treatment of Seamus Culleton is the saddest, most pointless she has encountered.
“Seamus is a model immigrant,” she said. “He did everything right. The only thing he did wrong was not depart the US after 90 days.”
If you enter the US under the visa waiver program, as Seamus did, and overstay your visa after 90 days, you typically waive your right to fight deportation. But, Oyoke said, there is a statutory exception to that.
“If you marry a US citizen, as Seamus did, you are entitled to submit an application for a Green card,” she said, “and in the past ICE would give you the chance to legalize your status.”
But that was before Donald Trump rode into the White House on a platform of rounding up millions of immigrants who don’t have legal status. To quickly assemble a paramilitary force willing to execute his plan, Trump dropped any semblance of ICE being a legitimate, well-trained law enforcement agency. The government reduced training from six months to 47 days, eliminating age limits and educational achievement, and offering sign-up bonuses of up to $50,000 to quickly fill the ranks with tens of thousands of agents who are obsessed with filling quotas, not arresting dangerous criminals.
If Seamus Culleton had $15,000 for fees at his disposal, and the ability to donate $1 million to the US treasury, he would be eligible for a Trump Gold Card to legalize his status. Check out the residency program for rich people. It’s either laughable or Kafkaesque. Take your pick.
The idea that Americans are safer because Seamus Culleton is locked up in squalor and facing deportation is a joke. The idea that some poor American lost out on a plastering job because Seamus Culleton built a company out of nothing is preposterous.
And those two terms — a joke, and preposterous — perfectly describe an immigration policy that is built on performative cruelty.
Oyoke visited Seamus in El Paso.
“It is the most horrendous place,” she said. “When I went to see Seamus, he looked jaundiced. They don’t let them spend enough time outside. It’s cruelty. Pure cruelty.”
Tiffany’s coworkers at the Stoneham Animal Hospital set up a GoFundMe page, to help make up for Seamus’ lost income, as Tiffany keeps payments up on his truck and other financial obligations.
On Monday, I asked the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to comment on Seamus Culleton’s case. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement Tuesday, did not address the forgery claims. She said Seamus Culleton illegally overstayed his visa and was given full due process rights after he was detained.
“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,” McLaughlin said, a statement that is at odds with ICE’s claims that Seamus Culleton signed documents saying he was consenting to deportation.
McLaughlin also said any claims of “subprime conditions at ICE facilities are FALSE.”
Back in Ireland, Seamus’ sister, Caroline, has spent sleepless nights trying to find out if her brother is okay. She worries about his mental health as much as his physical health.
She doesn’t believe for a moment that her brother signed papers consenting to losing his wife, his home, his business, his American dream.
“Seamus can be stubborn,” she said. “I’m his sister. I know him. He didn’t sign those papers.”
Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at kevin.cullen@globe.com.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
More MLB: Red Sox Legend Backs ‘Worried’ John Henry
What should have been a quiet off-day for the Boston Red Sox has devolved into chaos.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was the subject of a profile article in The Boston Globe that didn’t paint a sunny picture of his tenure, including a tough nugget about his relationship with legend Theo Epstein. But Breslow’s harshest critic of the day was probably the father of one of his ex-players.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins made his second major league appearance on Sunday since being traded from the Red Sox in the deal that brought Willson Contreras to Boston. After Dobbins pitched well and featured his sinker more than expected, his father Lance Dobbins took to social media to excoriate the Red Sox and Breslow.
Lance Dobbins’ latest comments harsher than the first
We covered Lance Dobbins’ initial comments from late Sunday night that seemed to be directed at the Red Sox organization already on Boston Red Sox On SI. But on Monday evening, the elder Dobbins reentered the fray to absolve pitching coach Andrew Bailey of any blame, effectively throwing Breslow under the bus.
When asked if Breslow replacing Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer led to Hunter throwing less sinkers and fewer four-seam fastballs in the Red Sox organization, Lance responded with this:
Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games! Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys…
— Lance Dobbins (@lpdobbins) June 1, 2026
“Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games!
“Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys always injured (pitchers and position players), it’s not by pure bad luck. Pitchers are having constant issues and hitters are always hurting hands and wrist. It’s not a league wide problem. It has to be fixed or we’ll never win because half of our starters will always be on the IL.”
That last point has to hit home for the Red Sox because star outfielder Roman Anthony (who debuted in the majors a couple of months after Hunter Dobbins) has now had two long-lasting injuries that occurred on swings — an oblique strain in September that ended his season prematurely, and a partially torn finger ligament that has held him out of action since May 4, with no end in sight.
Monday just wasn’t a good day in the public relations department for the Red Sox front office, or for Breslow in particular. But it’s worth noting that Dobbins has only made two appearances in a Cardinals uniform, allowing four earned runs in eight innings, taking a loss and earning a save.
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Scenic Six
Seasonal train rides, Bristol’s historic Fourth of July celebration, Duck Tour discounts, and more.
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Welcome back to Scenic Six.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. We visited friends in Wells, Maine and then explored nearby Ogunquit (recently named the best beach town in New England by Boston.com readers). Though the weather wasn’t the best, outdoor dining was still hopping and the streets were full of people. It’s always a good vibe in Ogunquit.
This week, I’m writing about two New England towns named among the most welcoming in America, a first-of-its-kind remote terminal for Logan Airport, the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the nation, Boston Duck Tour discounts, and more.
These New England towns roll out the welcome mat
If you’re looking for a happy getaway, two New England towns were just named on a World Atlas list of 12 of the most welcoming towns in America: Bar Harbor, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. Both are hosting free festivals and other community events this summer, adding even more reasons for a Maine or Vermont escape this season.
Need a ride? Consider a seasonal train
I’m a big fan of train travel because it’s relaxing and stress free. The CapeFlyer between Boston and Cape Cod resumed this past weekend and the Berkshire Flyer between the Berkshires and New York City starts back up on June 12 (with expanded service).
Attend the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in America
Believe it or not, Independence Day is just around the corner and one of the best celebrations in America is in Bristol, R.I., according to USA Today. The publication just named the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration among the best 4th of July celebrations in the nation (fun fact: this will be its 241st year).
Travel tips:
- Logan Airport passengers flying JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can soon skip airport security lines and go straight to their gate by using a first-of-its-kind remote terminal in Framingham, opening June 1.
- Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Ridgefield, Conn., the only national park dedicated to American painting, on June 14 (Flag Day) by attending the free event Art is Revolutionary. Guests will enjoy live music, plein air demonstrations, open house tours, refreshments, and art making activities.
Deals and steals:
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- Celebrate the 140th anniversary of Basin Harbor Resort & Boat Club in Vergennes, Vermont by booking the Summer Starts Early package, which takes 25% off weekdays and 10% off weekends on three-night stays taking place through June 18.
- Taking a Boston Duck Tour? Save up to $10 per ticket on tours departing before 10 a.m. by using the discount code EARLYDUCK. The discount is valid for online purchases only.
- Traveling by train? Save up to 60% off eight tickets on Amtrak when booking Amtrak Share Fares by using the code V291 on the Amtrak app. A two-day advance purchase is required.
I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the sunrise in Wells, Maine.
Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.
Whether you’re traveling this week or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey.
— Kristi
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