French woman, 86, held by ICE after moving to US to reunite with long-lost love

An 86-year-old French woman who moved to the US last year after rekindling a 1960s romance is being detained at an immigration enforcement centre in Louisiana. The son of Marie-Thérèse, from the city of Nantes, sounded the alarm after his mother was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, earlier in April. "They handcuffed her hands and feet like she was a...

An 86-year-old French woman who moved to the US last year after rekindling a 1960s romance is being detained at an immigration enforcement centre in Louisiana.

The son of Marie-Thérèse, from the city of Nantes, sounded the alarm after his mother was arrested in Anniston, Alabama, earlier in April.

"They handcuffed her hands and feet like she was a dangerous criminal," he told French outlet Ouest-France.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (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.