The French government is seeking the release of 86-year-old Marie-Thérèse Ross, a French citizen detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month. Ross, the widow of a U.S. Army veteran, is currently held at a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana.
Agents detained Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The French Consul General in New Orleans stated the government has “fully mobilized” to secure her release, citing her age and requesting access to adequate food and healthcare.
Ross married William Ross, a former Army captain, in April of last year. He passed away in January. The case is part of a broader trend of increased deportations impacting spouses of U.S. soldiers and veterans, reversing previous policies of leniency.