French Foreign Minister says 85-year-old widow detained by ICE has returned to her home country

PARIS (AP) — The 85-year-old French widow of a former U.S. military soldier who was in U.S. immigration custody returned to her home country on Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrault said.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Marie-Therese Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.

“She returned to France this morning, which is a relief to us,” Barrow told reporters during a visit to the southern French city of Montpellier on Friday.

Barrow said he would not comment on the specific case, but said some of ICE’s methods were “not in line” with French standards and “unacceptable to us.” Barrow referred to “the violence that raised our fears” without going into details.

Ross was being held at a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana.

She was among thousands of people targeted by the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda that detained wives of American soldiers and military veterans who had previously received greater leniency under the rescinded policies.

Ross married William Ross, an Alabama resident, in April of last year, Calhoun County marriage records show. Ross died last January, according to his family’s obituary, which says he was a former captain in the US Army.