An 'undocumented' Irish immigrant has been detained by US authorities in Boston and is facing deportation.

The man, originally from Co Galway, was taken in to custody following a raid on an apartment in Quincy by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last Wednesday afternoon.

During the raid two Irish men were identified as undocumented immigrants and were taken in to custody.

One of the men, believed to from Co Fermanagh, was subsequently released pending the outcome of a visa application which he had already submitted prior to his detection.

A second Irish man, believed to be in his late 20s and from the Connemara Gaeltacht, remains imprisoned in Suffolk County House of Correction.

The man had been due to appear before the courts to face drink driving and a number of other related charges.

A Boston-based solicitor representing the man said his client could be held in prison for a number of weeks while his deportation is being arranged, but that every effort was being made to speed up the "expedited removal" process.

It is understood the man and his family in Ireland are receiving assistance from the Irish Consulate in Boston.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said they were aware of the case but that they could not comment on individual cases.