Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is currently in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over questions relating to his immigration status, his legal team has confirmed.
In a statement issued on the matter, his lawyers said Mr Ofori-Atta is fully cooperating with ICE officials while discussions are ongoing to resolve the issue promptly.
The statement noted that he has a pending application for adjustment of status, a routine immigration process under US law that allows an individual to remain in the country beyond the expiration of an initial visa. His legal team described the procedure as standard and expressed confidence that the matter will be resolved without delay.
This development comes amid significant health challenges that have kept Mr Ofori-Atta in the United States since January 2025. He has been receiving medical care after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, a condition confirmed in March 2025 following MRI scans and a biopsy that indicated disease progression.
He subsequently underwent a radical prostatectomy on Friday, June 13, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Medical professionals described the surgery as a critical intervention after tests showed increased cancer spread within the prostate. Family sources say he had been under close medical supervision in the weeks leading up to the operation.
In addition to the cancer diagnosis, Mr Ofori-Atta has also been managing post-COVID Multi-System Inflammatory Response Syndrome, first identified in February 2021, which has required continued medical monitoring.
Mr Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 to 2023, a tenure marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic challenges, debt restructuring, and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
His stay in the United States has coincided with legal proceedings in Ghana. In November 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor charged him and others with corruption and related offences, a case that is currently at the case management conference stage.
The statement emphasised that Mr Ofori-Atta remains a law-abiding citizen and is working closely with US immigration authorities to regularise his status while continuing his medical recovery.
