A Northern Irish hairdresser who says he was due to marry a U.S. citizen alleges he was stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Florida, told he “looked Mexican,” and deported after a period in detention.
Lee Stinton, 45, told the Belfast Telegraph and the Daily Mail that the arrest occurred while he was walking to work in Key West. Stinton said an ICE officer told him, “You look Mexican,” and, after seeing a photograph on his phone of his partner, remarked, “He looks Haitian. This might be a two-for-one deal today.” He said he was handcuffed, shackled and taken to Krome Detention Center near Miami.
Stinton described crowded and harsh conditions inside the facility, saying he was held in a concrete cell intended for about 10 people but packed with more than 100 men. He said food and access to showers were limited, medical care was routinely denied, and that he witnessed a fellow detainee plead for heart medication before collapsing and dying. He also alleges medical procedures were performed without his consent, including the removal of subdermal piercings while he was shackled to a bed.
The Daily Mail and the Belfast Telegraph reported that Stinton was issued a blue detainee uniform indicating “low custody,” and that British consular officials were not promptly notified of his detention. Stinton said he was eventually deported to London with no onward travel arrangements and returned to Northern Ireland on July 12.
Stinton said he had no criminal record and described the experience as being “kidnapped off of the street.” He told reporters that he had complied with U.S. authorities while living in Florida and had been preparing to marry a U.S. citizen. He said he is now undergoing therapy for post-traumatic stress and has resumed hairdressing part time while rebuilding his life.
The accounts of detention and treatment inside Krome come as ICE has stepped up enforcement activity in Florida. In May, the agency announced that more than 1,100 arrests had been made in a single week, emphasizing a focus on criminal offenses. Stinton’s story was reported as an example of what he described as collateral arrests that have occurred amid broader operations.
The Daily Mail report noted that Stinton’s precise immigration status in the United States was unclear. The newspaper and other outlets said they had reached out to ICE for comment. As of publication, ICE had not provided a statement to confirm or deny the specific allegations contained in Stinton’s account.
Stinton attributed his detention to racial profiling by an officer and framed his experience as part of a broader pattern of enforcement. He posted about the episode on social media after his return to Lisburn, saying the episode had been “one of the most unjust and cruel experiences under President Trump’s regime,” and that sharing his story was intended to support others who might be facing similar circumstances.
The claims reported by Stinton echo longstanding concerns raised by advocacy groups and some lawmakers about treatment inside U.S. immigration detention facilities, including overcrowding, access to medical care and the handling of detainees with no criminal records. U.S. officials and ICE have at times defended enforcement operations as necessary to target criminal activity and to uphold immigration laws.
British consular assistance to detained nationals is governed by established protocols; the reports alleging delayed notification to consular officials were not independently confirmed by the consulate in the reports. Journalists who have covered the case said efforts were made to seek comment from U.S. authorities and the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Stinton’s account remains unverified by U.S. authorities in public statements. His case underscores tensions that emerge at the intersection of domestic immigration enforcement and international consular concerns, particularly when allegations of racial profiling and inadequate care are raised. The broader enforcement context and the specifics of Stinton’s immigration status will be central to any official review or response by ICE or other authorities.