The immigration case involving former Ghana Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since January 6, 2026, was adjourned to April 27, 2026.
Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before a United States immigration court in Virginia on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. He was spotted wearing a dark shirt and a face mask during the hearing
His case was heard at the Annandale Immigration Court before Immigration Judge David Gardey.
The former finance minister was represented by his legal team, including Christopher Chaisson of Whiteford Taylor & Preston and Kwao Amagashi.
Ken Ofori-Atta is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Centre.
The hearing was a bond redetermination proceeding addressing his immigration status, following the revocation of his visa and related overstay/loss of lawful status issues.
It was initially set up as virtual (via Webex), attracting significant public interest with many attempting to join.
Due to the high public attention, Ofori-Atta’s legal team, led by U.S. counsel Christopher Chaisson, successfully requested that the proceedings be held in camera (private and closed to the public), and Immigration Judge David Gardey granted the request.
The court adjourned the case to April 27, 2026, with a direction for the U.S. government to provide evidence of any extradition application by February 19, 2026.
Ofori-Atta will remain in ICE detention at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Arise Ghana protesters on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, when they stormed the United States Embassy in Accra, demanding the return of former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Arise Ghana protesters gathered outside the embassy premises, clad in red and black attire, called on U.S. authorities to cooperate with Ghanaian institutions to ensure the return of embattled Ken Ofori-Atta.
The group were with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Let Ofori-Atta Face Justice,” “Ken’s Leadership Killed Ghanaians”, “Ken Is Needed in Ghana, ‘Bring Ken Home”, and “No Hiding Place for Corruption.”
Bernard Monah an PNC member, speaking to the media, stated, “We all know that as of now, Ken Ofori-Atta is no longer sick. He went to the U.S. to seek medical attention, and now he has healed himself and overstayed his visa. When he was flagged to be arrested, he went ahead to apply to be a permanent citizen of America.”
“This means that he has no plan to return to Ghana. He is avoiding coming back to face justice.”
“So today is the beginning. We will stay here from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and we will come back tomorrow as well.
“We agreed with the police to protest for two weeks. After the two weeks, we have decided to do a sleepover here until the U.S. finds the need to bring Ken Ofori-Atta,” he said.
See the post below:
The hearing involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta at the Annandale Court, Virginia, has been adjourned to 27 April 2026, and he remains in ICE custody.#3NewsGH #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/Ty99Hk8lwQ
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) January 20, 2026