In brief
An 86-year-old French woman, Marie-Thérèse, has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisiana after relocating to the U.S. to reunite with her American partner, Billy, after decades apart. After their marriage, a family dispute arose following Billy's death, leading to Marie-Thérèse's arrest. Her family is now seeking to repatriate her amid serious health concerns.
Marie-Thérèse, an 86-year-old French woman who moved to the U.S. last year after rekindling a romance from the 1960s, is currently detained at a Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center. Her relocation to the United States followed her marriage to Billy, a man she met when he was a soldier stationed in France.
The alarm was raised by her son after she was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, earlier this month. They handcuffed her hands and feet like she was a dangerous criminal, her son expressed to French media outlet Ouest-France.
Marie-Thérèse had lost contact with Billy when he returned to the U.S. in 1966, but they reconnected in 2010 and began visiting each other. Both were widowed when they reignited their relationship and were married last year, after which Marie-Thérèse sought a green card to remain in America.
However, following Billy's unexpected death in January and subsequent inheritance disputes with his son, Marie-Thérèse encountered legal troubles. Reports suggest intimidation tactics were used against her, including cut-off utilities, and she was arrested shortly before a scheduled court hearing.
As her family fights for her release, the French foreign ministry is involved, and Marie-Thérèse has received a consular visit. Her health concerns are paramount to her family, who are urgently seeking her return to France. Her son reflects, This whole ordeal feels like a bad American film. Every morning, I wake up hoping it’s just a nightmare. The situation has raised awareness about ICE's role in immigration enforcement and its impact on vulnerable individuals.
