An elderly French widow is caught in immigration custody after overstaying her visa, prompting her government to launch a full diplomatic effort to secure her release from a Louisiana detention facility.
Marie-Therese Ross, 86, was detained by ICE agents in Alabama on April 1 following a visa violation. She had entered the country on a 90-day visa that she exceeded, according to Department of Homeland Security records.
The French government has mobilized its diplomatic resources in response. Rodolphe Sambou, the consul general of France in New Orleans, has visited Ross twice in detention and is coordinating with officials across multiple jurisdictions, including Washington DC, Atlanta, and Paris, to navigate her release. He told the Associated Press that France has contacted DHS directly.
"Given her age, we really want her to get out of this situation as soon as possible," Sambou said. He emphasized that securing her access to adequate food and healthcare while detained remains a priority for French officials.
Ross arrived in the US to reconnect with an old acquaintance and married William Ross, an Alabama resident and former Army captain, in April of last year. William Ross died in January.
Her detention reflects the Trump administration's aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, which has swept up individuals who previously might have received exemptions under prior policies. Military families and spouses of service members, once afforded greater leniency, have become targets of expanded removal operations during the current administration's second term.
A lawyer handling separate legal matters related to Ross's case did not respond to requests for comment. Neither Ross nor her family members have made public statements about her situation.
Author James Rodriguez: "The irony of detaining the widow of a decorated Army captain shows how indiscriminate the current enforcement machinery has become, diplomatic pressure or not."
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