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Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta (66) has been detained in the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over issues with his immigration status, his lawyers confirmed on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

According to his legal team, Ofori-Atta has a pending application to regularise his stay in the U.S., and ICE took him into custody to review his visa status and related paperwork. His U.S. lawyers are in contact with ICE and expect the situation to be resolved quickly.

He is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia.

While the current detention is officially about immigration status, Ofori-Atta has a separate and serious legal situation in Ghana:

Ghanaian authorities previously charged him with multiple corruption-related offences relating to his time as Minister of Finance.

In early 2025 he was declared a fugitive by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor after failing to appear for questioning.

An Interpol Red Notice was issued to help locate him internationally.

The Ghanaian government has formally requested his extradition from the U.S. to face those charges.