Overview
- Marie-Thérèse Ross, 85, returned to France on Friday after 16 days in U.S. immigration detention.
- U.S. authorities say she overstayed a 90-day visitor visa that began with her June 2025 entry, and applying for a green card does not by itself prevent arrest for an overstay.
- Her April 1 arrest in Alabama occurred during a dispute over her late husband’s estate, and a probate judge has called for federal scrutiny of her stepsons’ conduct.
- Court records describe the sons taking cars, redirecting her mail, and changing the house locks hours after the arrest, which the judge said raised concerns about misuse of position.
- Family and neighbors say agents removed her from home in a nightgown and restraints, French consular staff first reached her on April 8, and the inheritance case in Alabama remains unresolved.