An 85-year-old French widow who was detained for 16 days by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has spoken out about her experience, describing a facility where the silence was routinely shattered by the cries of children. Marie-Thérèse Ross, the widow of a U.S. military veteran, was arrested on 1 April in Alabama as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, an ordeal that drew international attention.
Detention Conditions
Speaking to The Associated Press on Monday, Ross recounted her time in federal immigration custody. She was held in a dormitory-style room with 58 other women, many of whom were mothers. “Children crying, and even babies,” she recalled of the nights. “Some of them didn’t know where their children were. I think it’s terrible for a woman not to know where her children are.”
Her arrest occurred swiftly. Five men identifying themselves as immigration officers banged on her door and windows at 8 a.m., handcuffed her, and placed her in a vehicle while she was still in her bathrobe, slippers, and pyjamas. Two days later, she was transferred to a facility in Basile, Louisiana, where she remained until her release later that month.
Personal Background
Ross had entered the United States to start a new life with William B. Ross, a retired U.S. soldier she met decades earlier when he was stationed in France in the 1950s and she worked as a secretary at NATO. They married in April 2025. After he died of natural causes in January, a dispute over his estate emerged. An Alabama judge found that Ross’s stepson, a U.S. federal employee, allegedly intervened to prompt her placement in immigration custody.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ross had overstayed her 90-day visa at the time of her arrest. The AP sought comment from DHS, which previously did not respond to requests.
Treatment and Solidarity
Ross described strict rules, constant shouting from guards, and condescending treatment at the Louisiana facility. “The prison was clean, the food was okay, but it was the way they spoke to us,” she said. “The guards could not speak without yelling.” The facility was noisy, but when silence fell, the cries of children and babies were audible. “There’s babies in this jail,” she added.
Despite the harsh conditions, Ross noted moments of solidarity among detainees. “During the night, if my bed cover slipped away, I felt a small hand putting it back,” she said. “I didn’t know who it was, but they pampered me because I was older than them.” The women called her “Grandma,” and she keeps a handmade friendship bracelet given to her by another detainee.
Aftermath and Reflections
Family members say Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress. She plans to seek medical follow-up in France for symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress and is receiving support. Ross continues to think about the women she met in custody, most from South America, many separated from their children.
Her experience changed her view of the United States and its immigration policies. Her husband was a Trump supporter, and they used to watch Fox News together. But she was shocked to learn firsthand how immigrants are treated. She once saw the U.S. as a “country of freedom, where people are not arrested based on how they look, and where those who are detained are treated fairly and with respect.” However, she believes the women she met did not deserve detention. “Their only fault was to be South American.”
As she recovers in France, Ross still thinks about them: “When I left this jail in Louisiana, I told them that if I ever had the chance to speak about them, I would do it, to help them.”
