Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is spending the night and possibly the next few days in the former Virginia Jail (Peumansend Creek Regional Jail), repurposed into a detention centre (The Caroline Detention Facility).
This is a former regional jail repurposed to house immigration detainees under the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The facility, previously known as the Peumansend Creek Regional Jail, has a capacity of about 336 adult detainees, both men and women.
Mr Ofori-Atta is among those currently being held there, subject to ICE contracts and population levels.
The Caroline Detention Facility is one of two major ICE detention centres in Virginia, alongside the Farmville Detention Centre.
In 2025, both facilities have operated at consistently high occupancy levels, reflecting a broader rise in immigration detentions linked to stricter enforcement measures under President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
As of November 28, 2025, the Caroline Detention Facility had exceeded its designed capacity. Data compiled by TRAC Immigration and cited by ABC 8 News shows an average daily population of 346 detainees, 10 more than the facility was built to hold.
The facility has previously faced criticism over detainee management. A 2023 inspection found that it failed to comply with requirements under its Voluntary Work Program, with some detainees working beyond the permitted hourly limits.
Mr Ofori-Atta will also share his new temporary home with criminal offenders. The latest data from the facility shows that 120 of its inmates are classified as criminals.
He will be part of the 226 detainees described as NCDs (Non-Criminal Detainees).
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