An 86-year-old French woman who moved to the United States last year to reunite with her long-lost love has been held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana. Marie-Thérèse, from the French city of Nantes, was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, earlier in April, according to reports.

Rekindled Romance and Immigration Struggles

Marie-Thérèse had reconnected with Billy, an American man she had met in the 1960s when he was a soldier stationed at the NATO base of Saint-Nazaire. She was a secretary at the time, and the two had lost touch after he returned to the US in 1966. Both married and had children in their respective countries, but they reconnected in 2010 and began visiting each other with their spouses, as reported by the French outlet Ouest-France.

By 2022, both were widowed and started a romantic relationship. According to Marie-Thérèse’s son. Billy was a “charming. Adorable man” and the couple were in love “like teenagers.” They married last year, and Marie-Thérèse moved to Alabama to live with him, applying for a green card that would allow her to remain in the US.

Detention and Health Concerns

However, Marie-Thérèse had not yet received the green card when Billy died suddenly in January — his death left her immigration status unclear, and shortly after, she reportedly entered a dispute with Billy’s son over his inheritance. Billy’s son “threatened her. Intimidated her. And even went so far as to cut off her water, internet, and electricity,” according to her son.

Marie-Thérèse hired a lawyer. But was arrested by ICE the day before a scheduled hearing. Neighbors alerted her children, and her son told Ouest-France that there was no proof that it was a report by Billy’s son that led to her detention. The French foreign ministry is involved, and Marie-Thérèse had received a consular visit, her son said.

He described his mother as a “fighter” who was “holding up well” but noted that she had heart and back problems. “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 such conditions of detention,” he said.

ICE and Immigration Policy

Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term in office, ICE has played a central role in carrying out the administration’s mass deportation initiative. Its budget and mission have been significantly expanded, and it plays a key role in removing undocumented immigrants from the US.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, told the BBC that an “illegal alien from France” matching Marie-Thérèse’s name had entered the country in June 2025 and overstayed her 90-day visa. According to her son, however, Marie-Thérèse was awaiting a green card when she was detained.

Marie-Thérèse’s son described the situation as “like a bad American film.” He said he wakes up every morning and tells himself none of it is true, that it was just a nightmare.

The case has drawn attention from the French foreign ministry and has sparked concerns over the treatment of elderly immigrants in US detention centers. Marie-Thérèse’s story highlights the complex interplay between personal history, immigration policy, and the challenges faced by elderly individuals caught in the system.