The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken proactive measures to address the potential deportation of Ghanaian nationals from the United States of America (USA), following President Donald Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies.
According to the Ministry, “the mood within the Ghanaian community is one of fear and anxiety” as a result of the increased enforcement measures.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, emphasised the need for a humane approach to the deportation process, stating that “affected Ghanaians do not have criminal records, and any Ghanaian currently serving a jail term will not be deported until their sentence has been fully served.”
Mr Ablakwa made the remarks on Thursday when he briefed Parliament on the deportation of Ghanaians from the USA.
Upon assuming the office of President of the USA, President Donald Trump instituted several executive actions, including Executive Order on deportation.
Central to President Trump’s immigration agenda was his firm commitment to carrying out mass deportations of individuals living in the USA without legal status.
This initiative primarily targeted those who either entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas.
Meanwhile, as of Saturday, February 23, 2025, the USA had implemented significant changes to its immigration policies, leading to profound consequences for migrant communities.
These changes had resulted in mass deportations of undocumented migrants and heightened enforcement measures along the Southern border with Mexico.
“Mr. Speaker, initially, the deportation efforts under the Trump administration prioritised undocumented immigrants and non-citizen residents with serious criminal records.
“However, reports indicate that individuals without criminal histories, those with final deportation orders, individuals with expired visas, and even recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have also been subject to deportation,” he said.
According to data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), approximately 37,660 individuals were deported in January 2025, no Ghanaians were included. However, 94 Ghanaians were deported from the USA in 2024, Mr Ablakwa noted.
“Mr. Speaker, the ongoing raids by ICE and reports of mass deportations had fostered a climate of fear and uncertainty within migrant communities,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said.
Mr Ablakwa told Parliament that the Ministry had engaged with various stakeholders, including the US Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Virginia E. Palmer,
to ensure that the deportation process was carried out in a fair and humane manner.
Additionally, he said: “Mr. Speaker, the Ministry is working with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide support for reintegrating deported nationals into Ghanaian society.”
As the situation continues to unfold, Mr Ablakwa said the Ministry remained committed to monitoring developments and providing necessary support to affected Ghanaian nationals.
It is reported that 50 out of 150 individuals had received final deportation orders from the court.
Their deportation is expected to take place by mid-year while the remaining 100 cases are either under appeal or had been dismissed, Mr Ablakwa told Parliament.
“Mr. Speaker, representations were made to the US authorities on behalf of one Ghanaian on the grounds of ill health, and he has since been released to seek medical care,” the sector minister said.
Mr Ablakwa noted that to further bolster deportation efforts, President Trump signed a memorandum on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, directing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to expand the migrant operations center at Guantanamo Bay.
He explained that this expansion would facilitate the temporary housing of up to 30,000 undocumented immigrants.
“Mr. Speaker, following this directive, 178 Venezuelan migrants were transferred to the facility and subsequently deported to Honduras, from where they were repatriated to Venezuela. As of now, no Ghanaian nationals are reportedly detained at this facility,” he said.
Source: GNA
The post Ghana prepares for potential deportation of nationals from US amid Trump’s immigration crackdown appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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