Marie-Thérèse Ross, an 86-year-old French widow, has returned to France after being held in U.S. Immigration detention for 16 days, according to French officials and her family. Her release followed diplomatic intervention by the French government after she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Alabama on April 1, 2026, for overstaying her 90-day visa.
The French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, confirmed Ross had returned to France on the morning of April 17, 2026, stating the government was “pleased” about her return. Her son, who spoke to Ouest-France earlier in the week, had expressed urgent concern for her health, saying she “won’t last a month in such conditions of detention” given her age and frailty.
Ross had married William Ross, a former U.S. Army captain and Alabama resident, in April 2025. He died in January 2026, triggering a probate dispute between his children and his widow. According to a New York Times report cited in multiple outlets, a probate judge noted concerns that one of the deceased’s children may have used their position as a government employee to influence her arrest, though no charges were filed in connection with that allegation.
ICE agents detained Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she remained in the U.S. Beyond the 90-day limit permitted under her visa waiver. She was transferred to a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana, where she remained until her release. U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed the detention was related to her visa status, not any criminal offense.
The French government said it had “fully mobilized” to secure her release, with Rodolphe Sambou, Consul General of France in New Orleans, telling the Associated Press he had visited her twice in detention and remained in regular contact with her family and officials in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Paris. Sambou emphasized the urgency of her release due to her age, stating, “Given her age, we really want her to get out of this situation as soon as possible.”
Her case drew attention as part of a broader pattern involving the detention of spouses of U.S. Military veterans under current immigration enforcement practices. Advocates noted that such individuals previously received more lenient treatment under policies that have since been rescinded. Ross’s detention occurred amid heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement actions targeting elderly individuals with long-standing ties to U.S. Communities.
Upon her return to France, Ross was reunited with her family. No further legal proceedings against her in the United States have been announced, and French officials confirmed she is no longer in U.S. Custody. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not indicated whether it will pursue any formal complaint regarding her treatment during detention.
As of April 17, 2026, no public statement has been issued by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security regarding the specifics of her release or any review of the circumstances leading to her detention. Observers continue to monitor whether her case will prompt further review of immigration enforcement protocols involving elderly foreign nationals with familial ties to U.S. Citizens.
For updates on this case, readers may consult official announcements from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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