New ICE Arrest Involves 86-Year-Old French Woman
Marie-Therese married her old American flame, but he died suddenly in Alabama
By John Johnson
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A transatlantic love story that began six decades ago in France has morphed into an immigration standoff in the US in 2026. The BBC reports on the odd circumstances: An 86-year-old French woman identified only as Marie-Therese is being held at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana after being arrested in early April. Her son told French media that she moved to Alabama earlier this year to live with her new American husband, whom she first met decades ago when she was a secretary and he was a US soldier stationed in France, explains the Guardian.
The pair went their separate ways in their own countries, but reconnected decades later and married in 2023 after they were both widowed. Marie-Therese applied for a green card, but things got complicated when her husband, identified only as Billy, died suddenly in January before the green card was approved. Then came a dispute with her husband’s son over the estate. He “threatened her, intimidated her, and even went so far as to cut off her water, internet, and electricity,” Marie-Therese’s son told French outlet Ouest-France. Marie-Therese was arrested by ICE the day before a scheduled hearing in that dispute, though it’s not clear whether the legal fight played any role in her arrest.
“They handcuffed her hands and feet like she was a dangerous criminal,” says her son. France’s foreign ministry has become involved, and Marie-Therese has received a consular visit. Her family is pushing to bring her back to France, citing her age and health, while US authorities have not publicly commented.
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