Donald Trump the Megathread part II - Mod Warning updated in OP 12/2/26

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/09/irish-man-seamus-culleton-ice-detention

This detailed Guardian article says he arrived in 2009 (his own solicitor says so) Recession central for us. Headed over on a 90 day holiday during the recession. Loads were doing it.

I'll preface the rest of what I'm about to say with this: I hope this all works out for Mr.Culleton and I do wish him well. And I do think ICE/Trump are mental.

If you're going to do anything in life, where the consequences are potentially life changing. Or there's a potential for a clampdown, do not ever take a "sure it's grand" attitude.

All works well. Until it doesn't.

If I go to a country- be it the USA,Japan, Thailand, Canada, etc, on a holiday visa and simply stay on- surely, I'll have to know in the back of mind, something *could* go wrong, either a month, year or several years down the line. I'd have to accept that yes, I'm taking a risk, and willing to assume responsibility for taking that risk if things go wrong.

If I decide not to declare income tax for a year, and Revenue don't look into it, I'll then go and do it a second year. A third year. And so on. I can't then decide to declare for the 5th year, and blame Revenue if they audit me for the previous few years. I'm the one that took the risk, and it worked out badly.

Again, I hope it's solved. I condemn the conditions he's in. I hope he's learned his lesson and gets to live in America with his family. I don't think he did anything bad or anything criminal. But he broke the rules 90 days in. And it'd be naive to think you can build an entire life, and presume everything will always remain constant. It's terribly unfair on him. But it was always a possibility, as ridiculous as it is.

Ok, id have a bit of sympathy knowing he overstayed in 2009 rather than 2006. We ended up in Australia for the same reason but on a sponsorship visa.

Id done the US when overstaying was actually an accepted irregular norm as long as you stayed out of trouble, but after 9/11 that irregular norm was over.

I’m sure there will be a rant from Trump about maxwell pleading the fifth.

Even tho Trump himself has pleaded the 5th over 400 times himself.

How is it unfair? Its the same rules that have been in place for years. He overstayed his holiday visa by over 20 years. He would have known there was a risk of being caught and deported, he won't even have been able to visit home for all that time or even leave the country because of it. Obviously after so long, his marriage and subesquent visa application last year will look suspect. His work visa isnt valid at all if its been found that he previously was here illegally for so long. I can't imagine any other country would just say "oh yeah you're grand, here's your permanent residency card" after that.

Having said all that, absolutely no need to detain him for that long though. Is it because he has declined to be deported and is trying to fight his case from there?

That struck me too.

You wouldn't recognize fair and balanced if it kicked you up the arse.

His work visa isnt valid though once it was discovered he had already been in the country for 20 years working without one. Its completely different from people who follow all the correct procedures to get their visa, myself included, which no one would have a problem with. Making the headline that a man with a valid work visa is being deported is totally burying the lede. It should read, man who lived and worked in the US illegally for 20 years is being deported. The fact that he suddenly decided to get married to a citizen and apply for a green card doesn't negate that.

No doubt some people would like to deport all foreigners, but they would be an extreme minority, even among Trump supporters.

To explain where you are i have a friend who totally buys in to the same cult they are more maga than trump

They tend to rationalise, deny, or twist facts to protect the group's image, often driven by the "sunk cost fallacy"—the feeling that having already invested significant time, money, and relationships, it is too late to leave. 

Think you took a hard right there or are u following certain traffic.

I know a guy who went from voting for Obama to joining the Trump cult. These days on political topics, I treat him like I would a deranged person on the street. There is no point arguing with him and risking an altercation that could spiral. I just smile, talk softly and change the subject.

The case of the Irish national facing possible deportation was discussed on CNN last night. A conservative radio show host (show is called Seattle Red) Jason Rantz, when the presenter pointed out he was married, said "after 16 years".

That “fair slice” is growing because there’s nothing stopping it- Trump is creating a Russian dictator model for America- the courts the justice dept, FBI, ICE and now major media outlets are all under his control or that of his friends like Amazon Bozo.

Just like Russia, As long as the American people feel they’re being governed by a strong leader, and the dollars keep flowing into the right pockets, they won’t give a sh1t- they’ve shown an appetite for the drool that emanates from Trumps mouth and ass- that was their first mistake - then they did it again in 2024- showing that they were hooked on this b0ll0xolgy- no going back now - ICE will surround every voting centre in risk states ensuring traditional Democrat voters with a dodgy past will stay away from the interim elections.

He was, there's footage of some event at Mar A Lago showing they were all watching it.

I don't know why people are focusing on the fact the guy overstayed his 90 days.

The Guardian article on it is very clear:

but, after marrying a US citizen and applying for lawful permanent residence, he obtained a statutory exemption that allowed him to work, Okoye told the Guardian. “He had a work-approved authorisation that is tied to a green card application,” she said.

That is all that matters. He also says they faked his signature on documents, claiming he never agreed to be deported despite what ICE says.