Patience Wolfe, a Ghanaian living in the United States, recently appeared on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide with DJ Nyaami, where she opened up about the current situation facing immigrants in the U.S. and her plans to return to Ghana.
According to Patience, living in the U.S. is not as glamorous as it appears from the outside. “America looks like a movie until you get here — then you realize it’s not,” she said. She warned fellow Ghanaians to be cautious, especially in light of increasing security and immigration crackdowns.
“Under Trump’s influence, some groups like the Proud Boys have become more aggressive. They behave like extremists now. You could be mistaken for a suspect just by your appearance — before you know it, you’ve been detained or even kidnapped,” she claimed. “They’re now asking for people’s passports and green cards, and many of us don’t have them at hand. They can even arrest you without a warrant now.”
She advised all foreigners in the U.S. to be alert and make backup plans.
Patience is preparing to return to Ghana and start a cleaning and trash disposal business. However, she has faced major setbacks due to delays at the Ghana Embassy.
“I paid $200 for an expedited passport process for myself, and $410 in total including my child’s. It’s been weeks and we still haven’t received them. I spoke about it on TikTok, and so many people reached out with similar experiences — some were supposed to travel the next day and hadn’t received their documents either,” she said.
According to her, embassy officials do not respond to emails or calls. She eventually managed to reach a helpful staff member who forwarded her complaint to the visa team, and the next day, her application status changed to “pending.”
Patience also mentioned that she holds an American passport, which complicates filing for dual citizenship. She was told she could possibly receive it on a Monday in 2023, but it’s still unresolved. She stressed that holding on to American passports for too long, especially after paying for expedited service, could be grounds for legal action.
“Chinese leaders have told their citizens to return home — but Ghanaian authorities haven’t said anything. We’re pleading with the embassy: if anything happens, we need our passports to flee, even if to Canada. Give us back our documents!”
Patience advised Ghanaians in the U.S. to open bank accounts back home in Ghana to protect their finances in case of deportation.
“If you don’t have legal papers here and get arrested, they can seize your money. At least if you have an account back home, you can access your money and start over.”
Despite the struggles, she continues to drive for Lyft and practice photography, but her long-term goal is to return home and invest in Ghana’s growing creative, entertainment, and waste management sectors.