Elderly French Woman Detained by ICE After Romantic US Move
An 86-year-old French woman, identified only as Marie-Thérèse, is currently being held in a crowded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in Louisiana, after she moved to the United States to marry her sweetheart from the 1950s. Her family has expressed grave fears for her health, stating she was handcuffed and shackled during her arrest, an experience they describe as treatment befitting a hardened criminal.
Family's Urgent Plea for Release
One of Marie-Thérèse's sons told the Ouest-France newspaper that it is critically urgent to secure her release from the detention facility and return her to France. "Given her health, she won't last a month in such conditions of detention," he warned, highlighting her existing heart and back problems. The family lost contact with her for a week following her arrest until French consular officials were permitted to visit. They report she is being held alongside approximately 70 other detainees, compounding their concerns about her wellbeing in the crowded environment.
A Love Story Rekindled After Decades
Marie-Thérèse, originally from Brittany, relocated to the United States last year to reunite with Billy, a former US serviceman she first fell in love with in the 1950s. At that time, she worked as a bilingual secretary at a NATO base near Saint-Nazaire, France's Atlantic port. Their romance was interrupted in 1966 when Billy returned to the US after President Charles de Gaulle decided to withdraw France from NATO's integrated military command structure.
In 2010, the pair reconnected via social media while both were married to other people, leading to meetings between the two couples. After their respective spouses passed away, Marie-Thérèse announced in April 2025 that she was moving to Anniston, Alabama, to marry Billy, whom her son described as "a charming, adorable man" and noted they behaved "like a couple of teenagers."
Legal Complications Following Tragic Loss
Tragedy struck when Billy, a retired US Army colonel and helicopter pilot, died in January 2026. At that time, Marie-Thérèse had not yet obtained a green card, leaving her immigration status uncertain. She subsequently became embroiled in a dispute with one of her late husband's sons, who allegedly cut off water, electricity, and internet services at her home.
Marie-Thérèse had engaged a lawyer to contest this case, with a hearing scheduled at the local tribunal for 9 April. However, on 1 April, just eight days prior to the court date, ICE agents arrived to arrest her. Her son remarked, "The neighbours went to the court for the hearing and said our mother would have won," suggesting she had a strong legal position. He added that despite the ordeal, "She's holding up. Our mother's a fighter; a force of nature. The others being held call her unsinkable."
Diplomatic Tensions and Personal Anguish
The situation unfolds against a backdrop of strained relations between Paris and Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron has recently criticised former US President Donald Trump's stance on Iran, labelling attempts to open the Strait of Hormuz by force as "unrealistic." This diplomatic friction may influence consular efforts to secure Marie-Thérèse's release.
Her son poignantly described the family's distress, stating, "It's like a bad scene from an American film. Every morning, I wake saying it can't be true, that I've had a nightmare." French consular officials are actively working to facilitate her release, as the family continues to advocate for her return to France, emphasising the urgency due to her advanced age and health vulnerabilities.
