U.S. Immigration Enforcement

Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé, a woman in her mid-80s from France, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Alabama on April 1, 2026, after authorities said she overstayed a 90-day visa. She had moved to Alabama to be with William Ross, a former U.S. Army captain she married in April 2025; he died in January 2026. New reporting shows the arrest followed actions by her American stepson, who brought her to the state, failed to complete required sponsorship paperwork, and contacted police and ICE after the family relationship soured. An immigration judge sharply rebuked the stepson on the record, calling his conduct exploitative, and ordered the widow's release from detention pending further proceedings, citing humanitarian concerns and the constraints of immigration law.