A love story that started in the 1950s and was revived years later through social media has now come to a painful halt. Marie-Therese, an 86-year-old woman from France, who had come to America to meet her old love, is currently in immigration custody.
According to reports, he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and his hands and legs were handcuffed. This incident not only shocks human sensibilities, but is also raising questions on America’s strict immigration policies.
What is the whole matter and how did this story start?
Marie-Therese reached the American state of Alabama in the year 2025 from the Brittany region of France. Here she came to live with her old lover Billy, whom she met while working at a NATO base in the 1950s. But in the 1960s, when France separated from the command of NATO after Charles de Gaulle’s decision, their relationship broke.
Was this relationship established again after decades?
In the year 2010, both of them connected again through social media. At that time both of them had moved ahead in their lives and were married. But after the death of their spouses they decided to live together. Marie-Therese shifted to Anniston, Alabama, USA, where both of them dreamed of spending the rest of their lives together.
Did your whole life change after Billy’s death?
After Billy’s death in January 2026, Marie-Thérèse’s life changed completely. She did not have a green card and was left in legal limbo. Meanwhile, a dispute started with Billy’s son, who is accused of having even the electricity and water supply of their house switched off. The matter had reached the court and the hearing was to be held in the beginning of April.
Was action taken even before the court hearing?
On April 1, 2026, just days before the court hearing, immigration agents detained him. According to the family, for several days they did not even know where Marie-Therese was. Later, information about his condition could be obtained after the intervention of the French Consulate. According to reports, he has been kept in a crowded detention center, where around 70 other people are also present. The family said that Marie-Therese has serious health problems related to heart and back, which have made her condition more worrying.
What allegations did the family make?
Marie-Therese’s son said while talking to the French media that it is very important for us to take her out of the detention center and bring her back to France. Considering her health, she would not be able to survive even a month in such detention conditions. He also said that ‘It looks like a bad scene from an American movie. Every morning I wake up and tell myself this can’t be true, this is like a bad dream.” The family alleges ICE agents treated him like a “dangerous criminal.”
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