Pregnant Ghanaian Woman and Son Return Home After Detention at US Airport

A pregnant Ghanaian woman, Annabella Gyasi, and her four-year-old son have returned to Ghana after being held at Washington Dulles International Airport in the United States for more than a week.

Gyasi travelled to the US with her son on a valid tourist visa for a medical appointment at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio. The visit was to assess her son for surgery to correct severe deformities affecting his fingers.

However, US immigration officers stopped them after Gyasi reportedly expressed fears about returning to Ghana and indicated that she wanted to seek asylum in the United States.

According to reports, Gyasi told immigration officials that her mother, a traditional priest, had advised her to end her son’s life because of his disability when he was a baby. Following this statement, immigration authorities detained the mother and child while reviewing their case.

Gyasi’s lawyers claimed that she and her son did not receive adequate food and medical care during the detention. She was reportedly hospitalised twice after experiencing dizziness and vaginal bleeding linked to stress and high blood pressure. US officials denied the allegations and stated that the pair received proper care and support.

Authorities later argued that Gyasi’s tourist visa was no longer valid because she intended to seek asylum instead of returning to Ghana. After an immigration judge rejected her asylum request, she agreed to return home due to concerns about her pregnancy and her son’s wellbeing.

A federal judge later ordered their release from detention and allowed them to travel back to Ghana immediately.