France Seeks Release of 86-Year-Old Widow Detained by US ICE
The French government is urgently pressing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release Marie-Therese Ross, an 86-year-old French widow currently held in immigration custody. Ross was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Alabama on April 1, 2026, after overstaying her 90-day visa. She is currently being held at a federal detention facility in Louisiana. Rodolphe Sambou, the French Consul General in New Orleans, stated that Paris has fully mobilized to secure her release, citing her advanced age and health concerns. Sambou has visited Ross twice and is coordinating with officials in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Paris to ensure she receives adequate food and healthcare. Ross, who married William Ross, a former U.S. Army captain from Alabama, last year, became a widow in January following his death. Her case highlights the Trump administration's intensified deportation agenda, which has reportedly targeted spouses of U.S. military veterans, reversing previous policies that offered greater leniency to this demographic. The French consulate declined to comment on specific legal details but emphasized the humanitarian urgency of the situation.
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France Seeks Release of 86-Year-Old Widow Detained by US ICE
The French government is urgently pressing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release Marie-Therese Ross, an 86-year-old French widow currently held in immigration custody. Ross was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Alabama on April 1, 2026, after overstaying her 90-day visa. She is currently being held at a federal detention facility in Louisiana. Rodolphe Sambou, the French Consul General in New Orleans, stated that Paris has fully mobilized to secure her release, citing her advanced age and health concerns. Sambou has visited Ross twice and is coordinating with officials in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Paris to ensure she receives adequate food and healthcare. Ross, who married William Ross, a former U.S. Army captain from Alabama, last year, became a widow in January following his death. Her case highlights the Trump administration's intensified deportation agenda, which has reportedly targeted spouses of U.S. military veterans, reversing previous policies that offered greater leniency to this demographic. The French consulate declined to comment on specific legal details but emphasized the humanitarian urgency of the situation.
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