An immigration enforcement operation in Anniston, Alabama, has left a 96-year-old French woman detained in a Louisiana facility, according to reports from biobiochile.cl.
Marie-Thérèse moved from Nantes to the United States last year to reunite with Billy, a former flame from her youth. The couple married earlier this year, but the woman's legal status remains in limbo following Billy's sudden death in January.
The relationship dates back to the 1960s when Billy served as a NATO soldier in Saint-Nazaire, France. After decades of separation and living separate lives, the pair reconnected in 2010 and decided to spend their final years together after both became widowed.
Family dispute and detention
Marie-Thérèse had applied for permanent residency, but she never received her green card before her husband passed away. Following Billy's death, her son reported that a bitter inheritance dispute erupted with Billy's son.
According to the French woman's son, the conflict escalated significantly. He told Ouest-France that the man 'threatened her, intimidated her and even went so far as to cut off her water, internet and electricity.'
ICE agents detained Marie-Thérèse in early April, just one day before a scheduled immigration hearing. Her son criticized the manner of her arrest, stating, 'They handcuffed her hands and feet as if she were a dangerous criminal.'
There is currently no evidence that the inheritance dispute prompted the federal detention. However, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has intervened and provided consular services to the woman.
Her family is now focused on repatriating her to France. Her son expressed urgent concern for her physical well-being, noting her existing heart and back problems.
'Our priority is to get her out of this detention center and repatriate her to France. Given her health, she will not withstand even one month in such conditions of detention,' her son said.
He described the situation as a nightmare, adding, 'Every morning I wake up and tell myself that none of this is real, that it has all just been a nightmare.'
