The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly called ICE, has arrested Kenneth Ofori-Atta, the former finance minister of Ghana, over issues related to his legal status in the United States.
Ofori-Atta’s lawyers confirmed the development in a statement released on Wednesday, saying the former minister was taken into custody by US immigration officials on Tuesday.
The statement noted that Ofori-Atta has an immigration petition that is still pending and awaiting processing.
According to the lawyers, “The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained former Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, yesterday concerning his current stay in the United States.”
They added that his legal team in the US is in contact with ICE and is hopeful the matter will be resolved swiftly.
Ofori-Atta has spent more than a year in the United States, largely for medical treatment. An online system that tracks ICE detainees indicates that he is currently being held at the Caroline detention center.
The arrest comes as the former minister is also dealing with separate legal challenges in Ghana.
In February 2025, Ghanaian authorities declared him wanted after he failed to appear for questioning over alleged corruption cases.
In November 2025, the Ghanaian government charged him alongside six other individuals. A month later, in December 2025, Ghana formally requested that the United States extradite Ofori-Atta so he could face trial on the charges filed against him.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under President Nana Akufo-Addo.
While in office, he oversaw the nation’s economic policies, including managing financial challenges and restructuring the country’s debt.
As at the time this report was filed, neither ICE nor Ghanaian authorities had issued further public comments regarding the detention.
