French pensioner, 86, detained by ICE after moving to US to reunite with long‑lost love
Key Takeaways
- An 86‑year‑old French woman, Marie‑Thérèse, who moved to Alabama last year after marrying an American she met in the 1960s, is reportedly detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Louisiana.
- It has been reported that she was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, allegedly handcuffed, and taken into custody the day before a scheduled court hearing; French consular staff have visited her.
- She had applied for a marriage‑based green card (permanent residence); the sudden death of her U.S. husband and a family dispute are central to the case and could complicate her immigration claim.
- There is no public proof that the husband’s son reported her to authorities; her family says poor health makes detention especially risky.
- The case highlights how detention can interrupt adjustment‑of‑status processes and raises questions about treatment of elderly immigrants in removal proceedings.
What happened
According to reporting by French outlets and the BBC, Marie‑Thérèse, an 86‑year‑old from Nantes, France, married an American man she first met in the 1960s and relocated to Alabama. It has been reported that after her husband — identified in French reports as Billy — died suddenly in January, a dispute over his estate escalated and, allegedly, his son threatened her and cut utilities at her home. It has been reported that she was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, in April and is now being held at an ICE detention centre in Louisiana; neighbours reportedly alerted her children. The French foreign ministry has intervened and carried out a consular visit, according to her son.
Legal context
Marriage to a U.S. citizen is a common route to lawful permanent residence: typically a U.S. citizen files Form I‑130 (Petition for Alien Relative) and the foreign spouse files Form I‑485 to adjust status, with adjudication by USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). If the U.S. spouse dies during the process, surviving‑spouse applicants may still qualify in limited circumstances but must satisfy specific USCIS requirements and demonstrate the marriage was entered in good faith. ICE, which enforces immigration detention and removal, has broad authority to arrest and detain non‑citizens in certain circumstances; it has been reported that ICE’s role and resources were expanded under the current administration, increasing removals and detentions.
Human impact and what this means now
For people in the immigration process, this case underscores two realities: detention can abruptly derail pending applications and hearings, and vulnerable individuals — especially elderly people with health problems — face heightened risks while detained. Marie‑Thérèse’s family says she has heart and back conditions and wants her repatriated to France; her son told French media he fears she will not withstand prolonged detention. If you are in a similar situation, contact an immigration attorney quickly, preserve documentation proving the bona fide nature of a marriage, and if you are a foreign national reach out to your country’s consulate for assistance. Detention can lead to bond hearings, removal proceedings, or options like humanitarian parole, but outcomes depend on case specifics and legal representation.
Source: Original Article