Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, has disclosed that fewer than 200 Ghanaian nationals are currently being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities across the United States, placing the figure around 193 detainees at the time of his remarks.
According to Ambassador Smith, the number remains fluid as deportations continue, particularly in cases involving undocumented migrants. He explained that once U.S. authorities establish an individual’s Ghanaian nationality and confirm the absence of valid immigration status, the likelihood of remaining in the country becomes minimal.
” Once they establish that they’re Ghanaians, sometimes they make us interview some of them. And if we establish that they’re Ghanaians, then they are on their way out. Because you don’t survive in front of the judge, there is nothing else for you to remain here. Because first of all, you are undocumented.” he said.
The Ambassador revealed that during a visit to a detention facility in Pennsylvania in December 2025, he met 11 Ghanaian detainees, including one woman. He said the majority were undocumented and had been in detention for several months while pursuing legal remedies. Some, he noted, had been held for close to ten months as their cases progressed through the immigration system.
Ambassador Smith emphasized that detainees are held under uniform conditions, regardless of social or professional status, except in cases involving health concerns that require isolation. He added that none of the detainees reported maltreatment and that conditions at the facility were clean and orderly, though it remained a detention environment.
However, he noted that many of the detainees expressed a strong desire to remain in the United States, despite the challenges posed by their undocumented status. Some, he revealed, admitted entering the country through irregular means, making it difficult to establish lawful entry or qualify for relief under U.S. immigration law.
“They want to be left alone to fight their cases. They didn’t complain of being maltreated or anything. They said that they want to fight their cases and remain in the United States. We didn’t know how they’re going to do that, actually. But during the day, we sort of encouraged them, reassured them about developments at home” he said.
He further noted that Ghanaian officials are occasionally required to assist U.S. authorities in verifying the nationality of detainees. Once confirmed, deportation procedures are typically initiated. “At that point, removal becomes inevitable,” he said, confirming that deportations of Ghanaian nationals are already underway.
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