169 Ghanaians Deported from U.S.,388 Detained – Foreign Affairs Minister
Accra, Ghana- A total of 169 Ghanaians have been deported from the United States among the 388 nationals currently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, reported to Parliament on Wednesday, November 19.
According to the Minister, among the 388 Ghanaians detained since January 2025 on immigration-related charges:
-120 are awaiting final decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals.
-49 have exhausted all legal processes and are awaiting final deportation arrangements.
-169 have already been deported to Ghana, with 90 arriving unaccompanied on commercial flights and 66 on chartered flights supervised by ICE agents.
Providing context on U.S. immigration enforcement, the Minister explained that Executive Order 14159 expands the use of expedited removal, allowing deportation without court hearings. The order also proposes withholding federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions, imposing criminal and civil penalties on immigrants who fail to register as undocumented, calls for a substantial increase in ICE and CBP personnel, restricts access to public benefits, expands Section 287(g) agreements with local enforcement, and increases federal prosecutions of immigration-related offenses.
He highlighted a key development by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security: the launch of the CBP Home App on May 5, 2025, designed to facilitate the voluntary deportation of undocumented immigrants. The app provides financial and travel assistance, and individuals who self-deport receive $1,000 upon confirmation of their return to their home country.
The Minister emphasized that the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C., provides legal and consular assistance to detained Ghanaians, verifying their nationality and issuing travel documents before deportation. Upon arrival in Ghana, deportees are supported through coordination with the Ghana Immigration Service, National Security, Port Health, the Ambulance Service, and NADMO.
Deportees also receive reintegration support, including food, social services, psychosocial care, financial assistance, skills counseling, and medical attention to ensure smooth reintegration into society.
He further noted that as of 18 November 2025, the Washington mission had only one pending request from ICE regarding travel documentation, indicating that most detainees have now been processed.
Importantly, the Minister stressed that the Government of Ghana did not request any monetary or material support from the United States for this intervention. He said the assistance provided to returning Ghanaians was done purely on humanitarian and Pan-African grounds, highlighting Ghana’s commitment to helping fellow West Africans in distress.
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