ICE is facing serious criticism after posting a St. Patrick’s Day message on its X page, which many consider tone-deaf. The agency’s social media post, intended as a holiday greeting, included a photo featuring a group of ICE agents. Their faces were blurred, but they were clearly visible, holding assault rifles, with pistols at their sides, standing in an arrow formation. The caption simply read, “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from ICE!” Per UniLad, the post immediately drew heavy fire in the comments section. Many people pointed out the rather stark irony of an agency known for targeting immigrants celebrating the cultural day of another country with a significant history of immigration to the United States. Folks online felt ICE’s decision to share such an image was in incredibly poor taste, especially given the long and often complicated history of Irish immigration to the US. A particularly strong point of contention for many critics was the recent detention of Seamus Culleton. Mr. Culleton, originally from County Kilkenny, Ireland, has lived in the US for 18 years and is married to a US citizen. He was in the middle of applying for a green card when ICE agents detained him in September 2025, subsequently transporting him to a detention facility in El Paso, Texas. I will bet you anything that ICE doesn’t even realize why people are upset Naturally, this case came up frequently in the comments. One person on X wrote, “A bit ironic as Ireland is one of the most left-wing countries in the world & a majority of its people probably despise ICE… also wasn’t there an Irish citizen who was detained in an immigration camp for months?” Seamus Culleton is an Irish national being held by ICE in Texas for nearly 6 months. He's lived in the U.S. for 20 years, is married to a U.S. citizen, has no criminal record, and was detained despite holding a valid work permit according to CBS News. pic.twitter.com/z6xB3srOuZ https://t.co/3o64GtemZ5— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) March 17, 2026 Another user directly addressed the agency, saying, “Take our national day out of your mouth.” Someone else echoed that sentiment, adding, “Nah. Y’all don’t get to celebrate the holidays of other countries.” When you have to blur their faces, you have a clear sign of who the bad guys are.— _ Imposter_ (@Imposter_Edits) March 17, 2026 Historically, Irish immigration to the US has been long and turbulent. From the early 1800s, the number of Irish people emigrating to the US began to climb, thanks to poverty and the potato famines. Irish immigrants, particularly the Catholic community, faced targeted persecution and discrimination upon arrival in the US, including tensions that sometimes erupted into violence between Irish Protestants and Catholics. You're needed in Iran, why don't you sign up? pic.twitter.com/SeJi2YKUE6— DawneStacey/SlavaUkraini (@nightowl2110) March 17, 2026 Considering this backdrop, it’s easy to see why many found ICE’s celebratory post, featuring agents armed and in formation, to be deeply insensitive and out of touch. Then again, the entire Trump administration uses their social media accounts in weird and cringey ways. Recently, the White House has been selling the Iran war through memes and pop culture content. Then there is AG Bondi, who got into trouble violating people’s rights.