United StatesVisas US detains Ghana-born blogger for visa overstay, faces deportation
Samuel Sey, a Ghana-born conservative blogger who backed US immigration enforcement, was detained by ICE in Ohio on 21 October 2026 and faces deportation for overstaying his visa by more than four years, the Department of Homeland Security said.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Samuel Sey, a Ghana-born conservative Christian blogger who has publicly supported President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, at Columbus International Airport in Ohio on 21 October 2026. The 39-year-old is being held at Butler County Jail and faces removal from the United States.
Key facts
- Detained: 21 October 2026 at Columbus International Airport, Ohio
- Held at: Butler County Jail
- Reason given by authorities: visa overstay of more than four years
- Entered the US: legally in 2022
- Status: no pending immigration application; accepted voluntary departure
Why was he detained?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Sey entered the United States legally in 2022 but stayed beyond his authorised period of admission by more than four years. The department said he has no pending immigration application and had accepted voluntary departure.
A DHS spokesperson said Sey "will remain in ICE custody until removed from the United States". The department has not publicly said whether he will be sent to Ghana or to Canada.
Who is Samuel Sey?
Sey was born in Ghana and moved to Canada as a child before relocating to the United States in 2022. He is a Christian writer, blogger, schoolteacher and political commentator who runs the website Slow to Write and has contributed to conservative and Christian publications.
He has defended stricter immigration enforcement, writing last year that "Christian ethics do not denounce deportations. They demand it." In January 2026 he wrote on X: "If you love America you should support ICE."
What do his supporters say?
Sey's supporters have suggested his detention may be linked to an administrative or paperwork issue. A fundraising appeal set up for his family said his wife, Annie, was seeking his release on bail to resolve possible clerical issues concerning his immigration status. The couple has three children.
Conservative Christian commentators have rallied behind him, with author Allie Beth Stuckey describing the matter as a paperwork issue being worked through. DHS maintains that he overstayed his authorised admission and accepted voluntary departure.
What this means for travellers
The case underlines that entering the United States legally does not allow travellers to remain beyond the period of admission granted at the border. DHS said Sey overstayed by more than four years and had no pending immigration application at the time of detention.
What happens next?
DHS has said Sey will be deported and will remain in ICE custody until he is removed from the country. The department has not specified whether he will be sent to Ghana or Canada, and no date for his removal has been announced.
Ghana
Canada