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6mo ago

French Widow, 85, Returns Home After 16 Days in U.S. Immigration Custody

French criticism of ICE tactics puts a spotlight on how the U.S. treats elderly migrants.

FILE - A federal agent wears an Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge, June 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
The Anniston, Ala., home where Marie Therese Ross, 85, who has returned to France after being held in U.S. immigration custody, had lived with her late husband, U.S. military veteran William Ross, on Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Safiyah Riddle)
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Overview

  • Marie‑Thérèse Ross, 85, returned to France Friday after 16 days in U.S. immigration detention, according to French officials.
  • ICE agents detained her in Anniston, Alabama on April 1 for overstaying the 90‑day limit under the Visa Waiver Program and then held her in a Louisiana facility, DHS said.
  • France monitored the case through its Atlanta consulate as the foreign minister condemned ICE methods and cited unspecified acts of violence.
  • A Calhoun County probate judge linked the arrest to a dispute over her late husband’s estate, writing that the stepsons rerouted her mail and that one had advance notice of the detention.
  • Her family and lawyer say agents removed her from home in a nightgown and she lacked needed medication in custody, a treatment dispute that could intensify scrutiny of how ICE handles elderly visa overstays.