Accra: The name of Ghana's former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been removed from the detainee list of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This follows his earlier arrest and detention by ICE on January 6, 2026. After his arrest, Ofori-Atta was listed as an 'illegal alien' on the official ICE website, which included details such as his name, country of birth, immigration status, and detention facility.
According to Ghana Web, checks on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, found no matching records for Ofori-Atta on the ICE website, suggesting a possible change in his status. The search result on the website read, "Your search has returned zero (0) matching records. Please re-check the search terms you entered to ensure they are correct and try your query again. Please remember that the system does not provide information for detainees under the age of 18. If you conducted a name-based search, only exact matches will be returned. You may want to try any name or spelling variants used by the detainee. If you are unable to find the detainee using the Online Detainee Locator System, please contact your local field office. For more information on the Missing Migrant Program, please visit [link]."
Earlier reports indicated that Ofori-Atta had overstayed his permitted period of admission in the United States. His lawyers confirmed his arrest in a public notice on January 7, 2026, citing the status of his current stay in the country. The notice added that Ken Ofori-Atta is currently working on documents regarding his stay in the US, and he has a pending petition for adjustment of status, which authorizes a person to stay in the US legally beyond the period of validity of their visa.
Ken Ofori-Atta is also a suspect in multiple criminal investigations by Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which has declared him wanted and placed him on an Interpol Red Notice. The OSP has listed several cases for which Ofori-Atta is wanted, including contractual arrangements with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, termination of a contract with Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology, and activities related to the National Cathedral project, among others.