An elderly French woman who was held in U.S. immigration detention for months has arrived back in France, according to that country’s top diplomat.
Marie-Thérèse Ross, 85, was taken into custody by immigration officials in Alabama this past April after her 90-day visitor visa expired, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced her return during a Friday press conference in Montpellier. “She returned to France this morning, this is a satisfaction for us,” Barrot stated.
While declining to discuss specifics of Ross’s situation, Barrot criticized immigration enforcement tactics, saying certain ICE procedures don’t meet French expectations and are “not acceptable to us.” The minister referenced “violence that raised our concerns” but provided no additional details.
Ross had been housed at a federal immigration detention center in Louisiana during her months-long detention.
Her case represents part of the current administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has expanded to include military families and veteran spouses who previously received more lenient treatment under prior policies.
Marriage records from Calhoun County show Ross wed Alabama resident William Ross last April. According to his family’s obituary, William Ross served as a U.S. Army captain before his death this past January.
