French Woman, 86, Held by ICE After Moving to US to Reunite with Long-Lost Love

An 86-year-old French woman, Marie-Thérèse, has been detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana following her arrest in Alabama. Her son, who hails from Nantes, revealed the incident after his mother was taken into custody earlier this month. “They handcuffed her hands and feet as if she were a dangerous criminal,” he recounted to French outlet Ouest-France.

Marie-Thérèse had relocated to the United States last year to rekindle a relationship with Billy, an American man she had met in the 1960s while he was stationed at the NATO base in Saint-Nazaire. At the time, she worked as a secretary. Billy returned to the U.S. in 1966, and the pair lost contact. They later married in separate countries, raising families apart. In 2010, the couple reunited and visited one another with their spouses. By 2022, both had become widowed, and they began a new relationship.

Billy’s son reportedly sparked the conflict after the man’s sudden death in January. According to Marie-Thérèse’s son, the heir “threatened her, intimidated her, and even cut off her utilities.” Despite hiring a lawyer, she was arrested by ICE just days before a hearing. Neighbors called her children, alerting them to her situation. There is no evidence confirming that Billy’s son’s report directly led to her detention.

The French foreign ministry has been involved, with Marie-Thérèse receiving a consular visit, her son shared. He described his mother as a “fighter” who is “holding up well,” though she suffers from heart and back issues. “Our priority is to get her out of this detention center and repatriate her to France. Given her health, she won’t last a month in these conditions,” he emphasized.

Since Donald Trump’s second term began, ICE has intensified its efforts in deportations. The agency’s budget and mission have expanded significantly, focusing on removing undocumented immigrants. Marie-Thérèse’s son likened his family’s ordeal to “a bad American film.” “Every morning I wake up and tell myself none of it is true—just a nightmare,” he said.

The BBC has contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for further comment.