France seeks release of 86-year-old French widow detained by ICE | ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
The French government is pressing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the 86-year-old French widow of a former soldier from immigration detention after she was detained earlier this month.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Marie-Therese Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to DHS. Ross is currently being held in a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana.
She is among the thousands targeted by the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, which has resulted in the detention of spouses of U.S. service members and veterans who were previously subjected to greater leniency under policies since Donald Trump was removed from office during his second term.
Rodolphe Sambou, France’s consul general in New Orleans, told The Associated Press that the French government was “fully mobilized” to press for his release. He said he has visited him twice while in custody so far.
“Given his age, we really want him to recover from this situation as quickly as possible,” Sambou said. “We want to get him out of prison.”
Sambou said he communicated frequently with Ross’ family and French officials in Washington D.C., Atlanta and Paris to coordinate his release and ensure his access to adequate food and healthcare. He said the French government also contacted DHS.
He declined to comment on his legal status or other details of his case.
Ross married Alabama resident William Ross in April of last year, according to Calhoun County marriage records. Ross died in January, according to his family’s obituary, which said he was a former captain in the U.S. Army.
An attorney representing Ross in a separate legal matter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ross’ family did not respond to requests for comment.
Numerous media reports said that Ross traveled to the US to reconnect with his former love from decades ago and that they got married.
