Northern Irish Hairdresser Detained by ICE for 'Looking Mexican' Deported After Month at Krome Center

Lee Stinton, a 45-year-old hairdresser from Northern Ireland, alleges he was racially profiled and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida after an officer told him, 'You look Mexican.' Despite explaining his Northern Irish origin and having no criminal record, Stinton was shackled, detained in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at the Krome Detention Center, and later deported to Britain. He reported witnessing detainees suffering from inadequate medical care, including a man who died after being denied heart medication, and claimed medical procedures were performed on him without consent. British consular officials were reportedly not notified promptly of his detention. Stinton's account highlights concerns about racial profiling, poor detainee treatment, and intensified immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration. ICE has not publicly commented on his case, though the agency has emphasized a focus on criminal offenses in recent large-scale operations in Florida.