United States: Marie

An irregular situation

The irregular situation of the octogenarian is at issue: she did not have a permanent visa, the famous green card. She settled in the United States in April 2025 after marrying Billy, her childhood love. A former NATO soldier, she met him in the late 1950s while they were both working at the Montoir-de-Bretagne military base near Saint-Nazaire.

However, Billy passed away shortly after, in January 2026. Marie-Thérèse chose to stay in the United States, particularly to settle inheritance issues with her late husband’s family. Suspicions arise about his son, with whom she was in a legal dispute, and who may have reported her to ICE agents. “We assume it. But we don’t have the proof,” specify the detainee’s family.

“The urgency is to have her repatriated to France”

Marie-Thérèse’s son is worried to know her in custody under difficult conditions. His mother suffers from back pain and heart problems. “She’s holding up. Our mother is a fighter. She’s a force of nature. She’s nicknamed ‘The Unsinkable’ by the other inmates,” he reassures. But “given her health, she won’t last a month in such detention conditions.”