French woman moved to US aged 85 to marry Army sweetheart – only to end up ripped from her bed in nightgown and hurled into ICE custody thanks to her scheming stepson

An elderly French woman who moved to Alabama to marry her U.S. Army boyfriend was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an inheritance battle with her stepson.

Marie-Therese Helene Claire Ross-Mahé, 86, was deported on Thursday following the arrest of her late husband’s son, the Daily Mail has revealed.

According to court documents, immigration officers removed Marie-Therese from her bed at her Anniston home on April 1, wearing only her nightgown and dressing gown.

A Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that the woman was taken to a detention center in Louisiana and removed from the country because her tourist visa had expired.

After marrying retired Army Captain William ‘Bill’ Ross in April last year, she moved to Anniston, a small town of just 22,000.

The couple met in the late 1960s while he was stationed in France and she was a bilingual secretary at a NATO base.

They lived apart for decades and had families of their own, but after they were both widowed, they reconnected and sparked a romance.

Marie-Therese entered the country in June 2025 and was trying to get a green card when her husband, who was just nine months old, passed away on January 24.

A judge has now ruled that after Bill’s death, his son William ‘Tony’ Ross used his contacts in the federal government to have Marie-Therese arrested by ICE.

She came to the US in June 2025 after marrying retired Army Captain William ‘Bill’ Ross, pictured together. The couple met in the 1960s, met again and got married in April last year.

Tony, a former state trooper and current federal government employee, contacted a colleague to request custody of his stepmother, Calhoun County Probate Judge Shirley Millwood wrote in the court order.

The request came after Bill’s death, when Tony and his brother Gary Ross were trying to gain control of their late father’s estate, the application said.

The estate consisted of Bill’s modest $172,000 home, about $1,500 in cash and about $10,000 in personal property, which included his Mercedes-Benz C300 and a truck.

The judge wrote that Marie-Therese told Tony and Gary, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, that she did not want her late husband’s assets and only wanted enough money to return to France and be with her children.

But a dispute soon arose as Tony and Gary removed both vehicles from the property the day after Bill’s death, according to documents.

Millwood wrote about a week later, after the brothers tried to force their stepmother to hand over Bill’s phone to them.

Tony and Gary then turned off the water, electricity and internet in the house.

The judge also said all mail, including notices from immigration services to Marie-Therese, was forwarded from the residence.

Bill’s deceased son, William ‘Tony’ Ross, used his position as a federal government employee to have ICE arrest his stepmother, a judge has heard.

Bill’s son Gary Ross, who was photographed with Bill, was also involved in the plot, court filings allege

Bill’s inheritance consisted of his modest $172,000 Anniston, Alabama home, about $1,500 in cash and about $10,000 in personal property, including a Mercedes-Benz C3000 and a truck.

The couple even offered to pay Marie-Therese $10,000 if she signed away her rights to the property, the judge’s order said.

‘Following the brothers’ failure to compel Ms. Ross to accept their offer, this court finds that William Anthony Ross used his position as an employee of the United States Federal Government for personal gain,’ Millwood wrote.

Tony testified that his stepmother did not make a call or meet requesting his deportation.

However, Millwood stated that the day before Tony’s arrest, he received a message from the US Marshals Service warning him that he would be detained.

It was also stated that within an hour of his arrest he received a text message confirming his detention.

After receiving this communication Tony alerted Gary and Gary then went to the property with his wife and changed all the locks.

Millwood called on the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding Marie-Therese’s arrest, but despite the judge’s recommendation, Marie-Therese has since been deported.

‘Marie-Therese Helene Ross is an illegal alien from France. He last entered the country in June 2025, under the Visa Waiver Programme, which allows him to stay in the country for 90 days. Seven months later, he is still in the United States illegally, a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

Marie-Therese had entered the country in June 2025 and was trying to obtain a green card at the time of Bill’s death on January 24 this year.

DHS confirmed he had been deported back to France and called on all illegal aliens to ‘immediately deport themselves’. The U.S. is currently offering $2,600 and a free flight to self-deporters, the spokesman said.

Marie-Therese’s lawyer, Kimberly Willingham, also confirmed her repatriation, telling the Daily Mail that she was now back with her children.

“When he landed he was exhausted and not feeling well,” Willingham said. ‘He has a medical appointment on Monday because he was not given his medication at the facility in Louisiana.’

The lawyer added that Marie-Therese felt that neither she nor the other inmates at the Louisiana detention center were treated well.

‘Woman. Marie’s case is that she did everything she needed to do to get her green card. Willingham added that he attended an appointment just days before he was detained in accordance with his visa status.

‘The French consulate played an intensive role in securing the release of Ms Marie and we are grateful to everyone who helped my client return home.’