Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States (Washington DC), Victor Emmanuel Smith, has led a team from the Ghana embassy to visit eleven Ghanaian nationals held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Pennsylvania.
The delegation visited the facility, operated by private prison company GEO Group, to assess the welfare of the detainees and hear their concerns during the Christmas season.
According to Ambassador Smith, the visit aimed to determine how the detainees were being treated, assess their health, listen to their concerns, and encourage them while both governments work toward resolutions of their cases.
Upon arrival, the Ambassador received a briefing on the eleven Ghanaians held at the center, including one woman. He noted that detention periods varied, with the longest being ten months and the shortest two weeks.
Addressing the detainees, Ambassador Smith said Christmas is a season of cheerfulness and family time, making it heartbreaking to know Ghanaians would spend the period detained and alone. He added, however, that they all appeared physically well and strong.
“I know this is a very difficult moment for those being held here, and I want them and their families to know that they are not forgotten,” the Ambassador said. “Our government understands the human pain involved, and we approach this situation with compassion and dignity.”
He acknowledged that most detainees would face the challenge of starting over in Ghana if deported, but urged them to stay positive and hopeful.
“While this chapter is challenging, it does not define anyone’s future. With time and the right processes, opportunities can always open again.
“And back home in Ghana, meaningful opportunities are being created under the Mahama administration’s reset agenda to help returning citizens rebuild their lives with dignity,”Ambassador Smith told the group.
The Ambassador emphasized that there is no shame in starting again, calling on the detainees to remain thankful and hopeful even in adversity.
“Ghana remains home, and the future remains open,” he said.
The visit forms part of his plan to reach all Ghanaians in the American diaspora, regardless of their situations.
The detention center is one of several facilities operated through ICE’s partnership with GEO Group, a private company that manages housing, food provision, and services including healthcare for immigration detainees.
ICE pays GEO Group per-bed, per-day rates to run these facilities as part of expanded detention capacity supporting immigration enforcement efforts.
Mrs Ethel Cudjoe Amissah
ISD Washington, USA
