French octogenarian Marie-Thérèse, detained in Louisiana since early April, returned to France on Friday and rejoined her family in Orvault near Nantes. Her children expressed relief in a brief statement. The local mayor welcomed her return and thanked French authorities.
Marie-Thérèse, 86, was arrested in early April in the United States by immigration police and held in a Louisiana detention center. She returned to France on April 17 and arrived in Orvault that afternoon, where her children awaited her.
Her son Hervé stated at a press point in the town hall: “We are particularly relieved today to see our mother, whom we found this morning after she went through an extremely difficult ordeal.” He added that their priority is “to protect her, her health, her rest, and allow her to rebuild.” He declined to detail detention conditions, urging respect for the family's privacy.
Orvault mayor Sébastien Arrouët said he spoke by phone with Marie-Thérèse: “She is doing as well as possible after such an ordeal.” He thanked the New Orleans consul general and the French Foreign Ministry for their efforts.
The octogenarian entered the US in June 2025 on a 90-day tourist visa to reunite with a youthful love, a US army captain met in 1953 near Saint-Nazaire. Married in 2025 after both were widowed, they were parted by her husband's sudden death in January.
