The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced that the United States government has rescinded its earlier decision to deport a Salvadoran national, Abrego Garcia, to Ghana.

According to the minister, the reversal followed extensive discussions with US authorities, during which it was clarified that Ghana would not accept Garcia’s deportation, as such an arrangement was not covered under any existing agreement between the two countries.

Ablakwa explained that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now taking steps to amend Garcia’s legal documents to reflect a change in his deportation destination.

'We are not accepting him!' - Ablakwa on deportation of Salvadoran by US government to Ghana

He stressed that President John Dramani Mahama’s administration remains committed to protecting Ghana’s sovereignty and acting in the best interests of its citizens.

“The Ghanaian Government is pleased to note that our refusal to accept Abrego Garcia has been duly acknowledged and complied with by the US Department of Homeland Security.

"We have also followed with satisfaction that DHS has today taken the appropriate steps to inform Garcia’s lawyers and amend court submissions to reflect the fact that Ghana cannot be an option for Garcia’s deportation. The Mahama Administration will continue to be transparent and truthful to Ghanaians at all times,” Ablakwa wrote on his X page on October 11, 2025.

The development has brought relief to many Ghanaians who had expressed concern that the United States might exploit its deportation agreement with Ghana to offload foreign criminals into the country.

The deportation order was reportedly part of US President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown amid rising criminal cases in the United States.

The Ghanaian Government is pleased to note that our refusal to accept Abrego Garcia has been duly acknowledged and complied with by the US Department of Homeland Security.

We have also followed with satisfaction that DHS has today taken the appropriate steps to inform Garcia’s… pic.twitter.com/DGkXogu2Tm

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) October 10, 2025