Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is currently in the custody of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement as officials review the conditions surrounding his presence in the country, his lawyers have confirmed.
In a statement issued by his legal team, the former minister was described as cooperating fully with immigration authorities while efforts are underway to clarify and regularise his status. His lawyers say discussions with ICE are ongoing and aimed at bringing the matter to a swift conclusion.
The statement explained that Mr Ofori-Atta has an active application for adjustment of status, a lawful process under United States immigration regulations that allows a person to remain in the country beyond the expiration of an original visa. According to his lawyers, the procedure is routine and does not in itself imply wrongdoing, adding that they expect the issue to be resolved without delay.
This immigration development is unfolding as Mr Ofori-Atta continues to deal with significant health challenges that have kept him in the United States since January 2025. He has been receiving specialist medical care following a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Medical sources indicate that the diagnosis was confirmed in March 2025 after MRI scans and a biopsy revealed evidence of cancer progression. As a result, doctors recommended urgent surgical intervention.
On Friday, June 13, Mr Ofori-Atta underwent a radical prostatectomy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Physicians involved in his care described the procedure as necessary after tests showed an increased spread of cancer cells within the prostate. Family sources say he had been under close medical observation and treatment in the United States for several weeks prior to the surgery.
Beyond the cancer diagnosis, the former minister is also managing post-COVID Multi-System Inflammatory Response Syndrome, a condition he was first diagnosed with in February 2021. The illness has required continuous medical supervision and has further influenced his decision to remain under care abroad.
Mr Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 to 2023, a period that saw the country navigate the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting debt pressures, and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
His stay in the United States has coincided with unresolved legal matters in Ghana. In November 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor filed charges against him and others over alleged corruption and related offences. That case is currently at the case management conference stage.
His lawyers emphasised that Mr Ofori-Atta has remained compliant with the law and is engaging transparently with United States immigration authorities, while continuing his medical recovery under specialist care.
