An octogenarian native to the Nantes region was apprehended on April 1 by US immigration police (ICE). The police accused her of not having a green card, a permanent visa that would allow her to stay in the United States as she was married to an American who passed away in January.
Marie-Thérèse, an 86-year-old French woman from Orvault near Nantes, was apprehended on Wednesday, April 1 by US immigration police (ICE) and placed in a detention center in Louisiana, United States, according to France Inter from diplomatic sources, confirming information from Ouest-France.
Immigration police reproached her for not having a green card, a permanent visa that would enable her to stay in the United States as she was married to an American who passed away last January. Before her arrest, a few days ago, in a Facebook post, Marie-Thérèse wrote that she planned to return to France in Orvault by the end of April.
Marie-Thérèse suffers from heart problems and back pain, her son told France Inter. She is among 70 other detainees. Her relatives had to wait several days before receiving news from her, last Wednesday, when she received a visit from the French consular services.
According to Marie-Thérèse’s son’s testimony, the French woman’s family was alerted by her neighbors. They saw the police come to arrest her in Anniston, Alabama where she was residing. They handcuffed her and took her to the detention center. Marie-Thérèse’s son, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he has complete trust in the consulate’s services.
The “Consulate General of France in Atlanta is closely monitoring” Marie-Thérèse’s situation who benefits from consular protection. The consulate “is in touch with her family and maintains close contact” with US immigration police, this same diplomatic source told France Inter.
