Former Ghanaian Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been detained in the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over issues relating to his immigration status, according to his legal representatives. The detention occurred earlier this week and was confirmed by his lawyers on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Ofori-Atta, 66, who served as Ghana’s finance minister for several years, is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in the state of Virginia. His legal team in the United States said the detention is administrative in nature and связан to questions surrounding his visa and residency documentation.
In a statement, his lawyers explained that Ofori-Atta has a pending application to regularise his immigration status in the U.S. and that ICE officials took him into custody as part of a routine review of his paperwork. They added that they are in active communication with immigration authorities and are optimistic the matter will be resolved in the near term.
“Mr. Ofori-Atta is cooperating fully with U.S. immigration officials,” one member of his legal team said. “We expect clarity on his status once the necessary documentation has been reviewed.”
However, the immigration issue unfolds against the backdrop of more serious legal troubles awaiting Ofori-Atta in Ghana. Ghanaian authorities have previously charged the former minister with multiple corruption-related offences linked to his tenure at the Ministry of Finance. The allegations include abuse of office and financial misconduct, charges he has publicly denied in the past.
In early 2025, Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive after he failed to appear for scheduled questioning. Subsequently, an Interpol Red Notice was issued to assist international law enforcement agencies in locating him.
The Government of Ghana has since submitted a formal extradition request to the United States, seeking his return to face the pending charges. It remains unclear whether the current ICE detention will have any immediate bearing on the extradition process.
U.S. authorities have not yet commented publicly on the case, and it is uncertain how long Ofori-Atta will remain in detention as both immigration and extradition matters continue to unfold.
