Ghana’s Government Lobbies U.S. to Deport Cancer Patient Ken Ofori-Atta, Undermining Due Process

In just 12 months, President Trump has expelled nearly as many illegals as Biden managed in four years, while illegal crossings on the southern border have dropped to one-tenth of their prior levels.

A critical risk of Trump’s immigration policy is that it could be exploited by foreign governments to abuse American law enforcement agencies such as ICE for political gain. When nations cannot achieve objectives through legal means like courts or diplomacy, they may attempt to subvert U.S. immigration systems.

International extradition law has been widely abused. INTERPOL’s Red Notices—international arrest warrants—are often misused by adversaries including Russia, China, and Iran to target dissidents, freeze assets, and force political opponents back for persecution. Even Ghana, a nation described as a U.S. ally, persuaded INTERPOL to issue a Red Notice against Ken Ofori-Atta, a leading democratic opposition figure and former finance minister of Ghana, demanding his return to face charges on fabricated grounds.

The notice was later suspended by INTERPOL after concerns about its legality and political motivation. However, last month, Ofori-Atta—then recovering from cancer treatment in Washington, D.C.—was picked up by ICE. He had entered the United States lawfully and applied months earlier for adjustment of status based on his U.S.-citizen son, a routine process that places an applicant in authorized stay.

Ghanaian officials have admitted working with U.S. Embassy personnel to revoke Ofori-Atta’s visa and then request his deportation. “Ken Ofori-Atta’s visa was revoked upon intervention by the Ghanaian government,” said Ghana’s Minister for Government Communication, Felix Ofosu Kwakye in a local television interview. “Because it was noted that the extradition process could take time. However, if the visa is revoked, his stay becomes untenable unless he can demonstrate cause at this hearing.”

The hearing referred to by the minister occurred on January 20, 2026: Ofori-Atta’s U.S. deportation hearing. The court suspended proceedings until February 19 due to Ghana’s failure to submit documentary evidence supporting its extradition request.

Ofori-Atta was a student at Columbia University and Yale Law School before joining Wall Street banks Salomon Brothers and Morgan Stanley, where he later founded Databank in Ghana. He served as finance minister from 2017 to 2024, when the current socialist president won the 2024 election. He is now under indictment for actions during his tenure as finance minister.

While some believe these charges are politically motivated and amount to lawfare by his opponents, Ofori-Atta has maintained an unblemished career in U.S. financial circles. The United States would not be the nation it claims itself to be if it allowed foreign governments to determine who remains within its borders.

We would not deport cancer patients and democratic opposition leaders—such as Ken Ofori-Atta—into jurisdictions known for using judicial mechanisms against political opponents. This incident exemplifies the “Biden-attritional lawfare playbook,” adapted in Ghana. The likelihood of Ofori-Atta receiving a fair trial in Ghana is now close to zero.

We would not send Iranian or Cuban opposition leaders back to face trial. Similarly, we should not deport opposition leaders from Ghana when it is clear that their justice system is compromised.

The United States—which stands for liberty and justice—should not facilitate the deportation of individuals to stand trial in circumstances where due process is undermined by foreign governments.

By Colonel Wes Martin