Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been detained by United States immigration authorities and is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, formerly known as the Peumansend Creek Regional Jail.
The facility, which has been repurposed to house immigration detainees under contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), can accommodate about 336 adult men and women. Mr Ofori-Atta is among those being held there and is expected to spend at least the night, and possibly several days, in detention depending on ICE procedures.
The Caroline Detention Facility is one of two major ICE detention centres in Virginia, alongside the Farmville Detention Centre. Both facilities have recorded persistently high occupancy levels in 2025, amid a broader increase in immigration detentions linked to stricter enforcement policies under President Donald Trump.
According to data compiled by TRAC Immigration and cited by ABC 8 News, the Caroline facility was operating above capacity as of November 28, 2025, with an average daily population of 346 detainees — ten more than it was designed to hold.
The detention centre has previously faced scrutiny over detainee management. A 2023 inspection found the facility was non-compliant with requirements under its Voluntary Work Program, including instances where detainees reportedly worked beyond permitted hourly limits.
Facility data indicates that 120 of those currently held are classified as criminal detainees. Mr Ofori-Atta is among the remaining 226 detainees categorised as non-criminal detainees (NCDs).
Ken Ofori-Atta Arrested, Held in US Immigration Detention Facility
