Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé, an 85-year-old French widow who moved to Alabama last year to marry a retired U.S. Army captain, was detained by U.S. immigration officials on April 1 for overstaying a 90-day visa. She was held in Louisiana for 16 days and released on April 16, then returned to France on April 17, French authorities confirmed. Ross-Mahé had been applying for a green card and became embroiled in an inheritance dispute after her husband's January death; a probate judge has called for an investigation into claims that the husband's sons rerouted her mail and caused her to miss an immigration hearing. Family members say she is relieved but exhausted.
85-Year-Old French Widow Detained by ICE Over Visa Overstay Released After 16 Days, Returns to France
French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel BarrotCredit: Sylvain THOMAS / AFP via Getty
An 85-year-old French widow, Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé, was detained by U.S. immigration authorities on April 1 after officials said she had overstayed a 90-day visa. She was held at a detention facility in Louisiana for 16 days before being released on April 16 and returning to France on April 17, French officials confirmed.
Ross-Mahé moved from Nantes to Anniston, Alabama, last June to marry William Ross, a retired U.S. Army captain she had known for decades. The couple rekindled their relationship after both had lost spouses and married last year. According to reporters, Ross-Mahé was in the process of applying for a green card when she was detained.
Timeline and Key Details
Authorities with the Department of Homeland Security told PEOPLE that Ross-Mahé exceeded the 90-day stay permitted by her visa. On April 1, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at the couple's home and removed her; a neighbor's sworn account submitted to court said she was wearing only a nightgown, robe and underwear at the time.
The Anniston, Ala., home where Marie Therese Ross, 85, who has returned to France after being held in U.S. immigration custody, had lived with her late husband, U.S. military veteran William Ross, on April 17, 2026Credit: Safiyah Riddle/AP
She was then held in Louisiana for more than two weeks and released on April 16. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed on April 17 that Ross-Mahé was back in France but declined to discuss operational specifics, saying, "The main thing is that she is back in France, and that is fully satisfying to us." It remains unclear whether Ross-Mahé departed the United States voluntarily or was formally removed.
Legal and Family Dispute
In January, after William Ross died without a will, Ross-Mahé became involved in a dispute over his estate with his two adult children. Calhoun County Probate Judge Shirley A. Millwood has called for an investigation into the circumstances that led to Ross-Mahé's arrest, saying the late husband's sons "purposefully" redirected her mail — a maneuver the judge said caused her to miss an immigration hearing.
One of Ross-Mahé's sons told the Associated Press, "We are very, very happy" to have their mother back, but added that she was exhausted. "She's very tired, she's not very good," he said.
PEOPLE and other outlets reported that the family has not received an immediate response from France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs or from Ross-Mahé's attorney. Multiple news organizations covering the case include The New York Times, The Guardian, the Associated Press and Ouest-France.
What’s Next: Local authorities and the probate court have signaled interest in further investigating how the mail diversion and missed hearing occurred. The case has drawn attention because of the woman's age, the family dispute after her husband's death, and questions about how immigration procedures affected an elderly detainee.
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