Ghanaian respiratory therapist arrested by ICE while waiting to board flight in US
A 57-year-old Ghanaian respiratory therapist has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while waiting to board a domestic flight at San Francisco International Airport.
The man, identified by the pseudonym Kwadwo in local reporting, had reportedly cleared airport security and was waiting at his gate for a flight to Dallas when he was approached by a plainclothes immigration officer.
According to reports, the officer asked him to confirm his identity before informing him that he was under arrest for overstaying his visa.
Kwadwo, who has lived in Daly City, California, for about eight years, was subsequently taken from the airport and placed in immigration detention. He has reportedly remained at the Golden State Annex detention centre near Bakersfield for more than two months.
Court documents cited in the reports indicate that his immigration case is connected to an expired student visa. He applied for a green card, but the application was rejected in June 2024. His first appeal was also unsuccessful, while a second appeal filed in May 2025 remains pending.
The Ghanaian reportedly travelled to Dallas to visit a cousin who was recovering from a stroke when he was arrested.
Kwadwo has no criminal record, according to the reporting, and had established a professional career in the United States as a respiratory therapist. He studied respiratory care at Loma Linda University and later obtained a master’s degree in the field.
Before moving to the United States, Kwadwo had lived in South Africa after leaving Ghana as a young man. He eventually moved to the US with his wife and two sons in 2018.
In California, he worked in home-based respiratory care, including providing support to patients who depended on ventilators. Employment records reviewed by local media reportedly showed that he earned more than US$166,000 annually.
His detention has also affected his family, particularly one of his sons who is pursuing graduate studies in Texas.
Reports on the case also point to a broader change in immigration enforcement at US airports. Immigration lawyers cited in the reporting said domestic air travel has become a concern for people whose immigration status is unresolved or otherwise vulnerable.
Kwadwo has challenged his detention and filed a habeas corpus petition seeking release while his immigration proceedings continue. A judge reportedly denied his request for bond, citing concerns about flight risk, and he is appealing the decision.
The case has drawn attention because the arrest occurred while Kwadwo was travelling on a domestic flight rather than attempting to enter the United States from another country.
The Ghanaian remains in immigration detention as his legal case continues.
Source: Thepressradio.com
