Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over issues related to his immigration status. According to his Ghana-based legal team, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, Ofori-Atta was detained on January 6, 2026, and his US legal team is working to resolve the matter expeditiously.
The detention is attributed to challenges regarding the status of Ofori-Atta’s continued stay in the US, with a pending petition for adjustment of status, a process under US law that allows an individual to remain legally in the country beyond the validity of an initial visa. His lawyers emphasize that this is a common immigration procedure and expect the matter to be resolved quickly.
Ofori-Atta has been in the US since January 2025 for medical treatment, undergoing a radical prostatectomy at the Mayo Clinic in June 2025 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has also been managing post-COVID Multi-System Inflammatory Response Syndrome, a condition requiring ongoing medical oversight.
The former Finance Minister served Ghana from 2017 to 2023, overseeing the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and IMF negotiations. His detention comes amid ongoing legal troubles in Ghana, where he faces corruption charges related to his tenure.
Ofori-Atta’s legal team assures the public that he is cooperating fully with ICE and working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The Ghanaian government had submitted an extradition request, but Ofori-Atta’s current detention is solely based on immigration-related grounds.
Author: Korkor Anumu
