How Ken Ofori-Atta nearly died in US detention
Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s detention by US immigration authorities took a severe toll on his health, with an American immigration judge acknowledging in open court that the ordeal left him physically weakened before granting his application for adjustment of status.
“I know that you’ve been through a difficult period of time, that you were detained based on these criminal charges… your health suffered as a result…,” said Judge David Gardey addressed Ofori-Atta during his oral ruling at the Annandale Immigration Court on 15 June 2026.
“You have had your day in court, and you have established that you are entitled to adjustment of status.”
The judge’s remarks came after months of legal proceedings in which Ofori-Atta challenged attempts to remove him from the United States.
Collapse in detention
The court’s comments revive memories of the former minister’s medical emergency while in immigration detention before he was granted bail as his health deteriorated.
Ofori-Atta collapsed while being held by US immigration authorities and was rushed to the emergency room at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The incident, which had him spending some of his detention time detained in hospital heightened concerns about his deteriorating health, with his legal team arguing that detention posed a serious risk to his life.
Longstanding health complications
Before his detention, Ofori-Atta had already been battling multiple health conditions, including high blood pressure, liver illness and prostate cancer.
Ghanaians may recall that his health deteriorated significantly after he contracted COVID-19 in October 2024 during campaign activities in Ghana and he was hospitalised for two months.
Covid-19 triggered severe complications, including liver problems, leading to repeated medical treatment and specialist care at the Mayo Clinic during the latter part of the Akufo-Addo administration.
The then Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, had to notably read a national budget on behalf of Ken Ofori-Atta, who had then been hospitalised.
During this year’s US immigration proceedings, the judge acknowledged those medical concerns, noting that Ofori-Atta had been in the United States for treatment for cancer and other health conditions while assessing the humanitarian factors in the case. If the decision to grant him bail from ICE detention was partly informed by his health, then the granting of his green card was not based on that.
Court grants relief
Judge Gardey ruled that Ofori-Atta deserved a favourable exercise of discretion, finding that the criminal allegations brought against him by the Office of the Special Prosecutor lacked a credible basis.
The judge said the court found Ofori-Atta had “presented significant evidence” showing he had not engaged in criminal wrongdoing and concluded that the positive factors in his case outweighed the negatives.
At the end of the proceedings, the judge wished Ofori-Atta and his family well, acknowledging the difficult period they had endured before adjourning the matter for a further hearing on related immigration issues.
