A total of 388 Ghanaians have been detained in the United States on immigration-related charges since January, following Executive Order 14159 by President Donald Trump, which mandated stricter immigration enforcement.
Of the detainees, 120 are awaiting final decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals, while 49 have exhausted all legal processes and are awaiting deportation arrangements, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, told Parliament on Wednesday.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs records, 159 Ghanaians have already been deported this year. Of these, 90 returned on commercial flights unaccompanied, while 66 were on chartered flights under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) supervision.
As of November 18, 2025, the Washington Mission had only one pending request from ICE for travel documentation.
Ablakwa noted that undocumented migrants can initiate self-deportation through the Customs and Border Protection Home App, created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Ghana’s Washington Mission assists detained Ghanaians with legal counsel, verification of nationality, and issuance of travel documents before deportation.
