An 86-year-old French woman, Marie-Thérèse, is being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Louisiana, USA, after moving to the country last year to reunite with her American love, Billy, whom she first met in the 1960s. Her son told French outlet Ouest-France that she was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, in April, with her hands and feet handcuffed "like a dangerous criminal," highlighting the harsh treatment allegedly faced under the US regime's immigration policies.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, stated to the BBC that an "illegal alien from France" matching Marie-Thérèse's name entered the US in June 2025 and overstayed her 90-day visa. However, her son countered that she was awaiting a green card (permanent residency) at the time of detention. Marie-Thérèse and Billy met in the 1960s when he was a soldier at a NATO base and she a secretary, but lost touch, married others in their respective countries, and had children before reconnecting in 2010.
After both were widowed by 2022, they began a relationship, described by her son as "like teenagers," and married last year. Billy's sudden death in January 2025 left Marie-Thérèse's immigration status unclear, and a dispute over his inheritance reportedly ensued with his son, who allegedly threatened her and cut off her utilities. She hired a lawyer but was arrested by ICE the day before a scheduled hearing, with neighbors alerting her family.
The French foreign ministry is involved, and Marie-Thérèse has received a consular visit, but her son expressed grave concerns about her health, citing heart and back problems, and warned she "won't last a month" in detention conditions. Since the start of Donald Trump's second term, ICE has allegedly taken a central role in the US regime's mass deportation initiatives, with its budget and mission significantly expanded to remove undocumented immigrants, raising questions about the fairness and humanity of such measures.
Her son likened the ordeal to a "bad American film," saying he wakes up daily hoping it's a nightmare. This case has drawn international attention, underscoring the societal friction and personal costs associated with the US regime's stringent immigration enforcement, particularly for vulnerable individuals caught in bureaucratic and legal ambiguities.
Source: www.bbc.com