GoFundMe for Irish ICE detainee Seamus Culleton "deactivated"

Mr Culleton was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) back in September of last year and was held at a facility in El Paso, Texas.

Mr Culleton, originally from Tipperary, had arrived in the US in 2009 and overstayed his 90-day visa, with him previously detailing the poor conditions of the ICE detention centre that he was in.

He was granted a 10-day stay deferment from his deportation back to Ireland, although new revelations have emerged surrounding his detention — including that he "abandoned" his twin daughters when they were toddlers, and that he was facing drug charges in Ireland.

Heather and Melissa Morrisey, Seamus Culleton's "abandoned" daughters.

A GoFundMe, which was started on behalf of Mr Culleton and his wife, Tiffany, by their friend back in November, has since seemingly been deactivated. It had previously raised over €25,000.

The GoFundMe read that Mr Culleton had racked up over €15,000 in legal fees to try and fight his deportation, adding that his wife was "trying to manage everything on her own right now, including rent, bills, car payments and car insurance.

"They are good people who work hard and are just trying to make a life together. They are also people who don’t like to ask for help, but right now they need our help," the GoFundMe added.

"This is a tragic situation and they are doing everything they can to bring Seamus home, where he belongs."

Seamus Culleton and his wife, Tiffany Smith.

One of Mr Culleton’s twin daughters, Heather Morrissey, had slammed her father’s comparison of the detention centre to a "concentration camp," but added that she hadn’t seen what conditions her father was in.

She had also slammed the GoFundMe, which said that Mr Culleton’s wife wanted him home to see their "babies" — their Doberman dogs — saying earlier this week that her father should worry about the real children he had, and not about the dogs.

It is understood that someone had contacted Heather directly about the GoFundMe, and she was told that her father was "upset" and that the matter could "affect his Green Card application." The person said Mr Culleton’s case was at a "critical stage" and that "comments like that are only going to make it worse for him."

Heather responded that she found the whole thing "insulting", leading to the person known to Mr Culleton responding: "Well then, good luck seeing Séamus because they will keep him in. Is that what you want?" Heather and Melissa claim their father is "not the man people think he is" and said his claim that he has done "no wrong" is false.

The two young women said their mother has not received "a penny" in child maintenance from Mr Culleton since he ‘abandoned’ them. Heather said: "I think he should come back here and he should get arrested."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.