An 86-year-old French woman who moved to the US last year after rekindling a 1960s romance is being detained at an immigration enforcement centre in Louisiana. The son of Marie-Thérèse, from the city of Nantes, sounded the alarm after his mother was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, earlier in April. They handcuffed her hands and feet like she was a dangerous criminal, he told French outlet Ouest-France. The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated that an illegal alien from France with Marie-Thérèse's name had entered the city in June 2025 and overstayed her visa. However, her son asserted that she was awaiting a green card at the time of her detention.
Marie-Thérèse moved to the US after marrying her long-lost love, an American named Billy, whom she met in the 1960s, when he was a soldier stationed at a NATO base. They lost touch after Billy returned to the US in 1966, both got married, and each raised families. The two reconnected in 2010, visiting each other with their spouses.
In 2022, after both were widowed, they began a romantic relationship, ultimately marrying last year. Marie-Thérèse relocated to Alabama and applied for a green card, but her status became uncertain after Billy's sudden death in January 2023. Following disputes over his inheritance, Marie-Thérèse was arrested by ICE before a scheduled court hearing.
Her son has voiced concerns over her health, pointing out that she suffers from heart and back problems. He stressed that their priority is to secure her release and facilitate her return to France, expressing fears that she wouldn't last a month in the detention center. The French foreign ministry is involved, with her son describing the situation as resembling a "bad American film.
Marie-Thérèse moved to the US after marrying her long-lost love, an American named Billy, whom she met in the 1960s, when he was a soldier stationed at a NATO base. They lost touch after Billy returned to the US in 1966, both got married, and each raised families. The two reconnected in 2010, visiting each other with their spouses.
In 2022, after both were widowed, they began a romantic relationship, ultimately marrying last year. Marie-Thérèse relocated to Alabama and applied for a green card, but her status became uncertain after Billy's sudden death in January 2023. Following disputes over his inheritance, Marie-Thérèse was arrested by ICE before a scheduled court hearing.
Her son has voiced concerns over her health, pointing out that she suffers from heart and back problems. He stressed that their priority is to secure her release and facilitate her return to France, expressing fears that she wouldn't last a month in the detention center. The French foreign ministry is involved, with her son describing the situation as resembling a "bad American film.
