A United States-based Ghanaian man, Paul Essel, who is a grant accounting manager at Missouri State University (MSU), has detained without bond by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over alleged immigration violations linked to marriage fraud.

MSU confirmed Mr Essel’s arrest in a statement, noting that the ICE authorities had yet to contact the institution regarding the matter.

The university added that Mr Essel was a student in the institution from 2008 to 2014, began working there while still a student and continued in the role after graduation.

“Missouri State University is aware that Paul Essel, manager of grants accounting, was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) yesterday morning (Oct. 7), although at this time we have not received any official communication from any law enforcement agencies on this matter. 

“Mr Essel is a valued, long-standing member of the Missouri State University community. He attended Missouri State as a student and obtained two graduate degrees between the years of 2008-14. He began working for the university while pursuing his degree and continued his employment after graduation. Since that time, he remained an employee in good standing,” the university said.

According to reports, Mr Essel entered the United States on a non-permanent student visa in 2003 before obtaining a conditional permanent residency but his application for citizenship after marrying a U.S. citizen was denied in 2012 by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Court filings stated that the USCIS ruled that Mr Essel was “not living in a marital union with his citizen-spouse” and made false statements about the marriage to obtain an immigration benefit.

The agency reportedly based its decision on evidence that he and his wife, who divorced him in 2013, had been living in different states.

An immigration judge subsequently ordered that Mr Essel should be deported from the United States following the USCIS’ decision. After an appeal against the determination failed, in 2016, he married a woman who had become a U.S. citizen in 2014, who then filed on his behalf for a permanent residency via the I-130 petition, court documents showed.

Despite initially indicating that it would deny the I-130 petition, the USCIS ultimately approved it in 2018, potentially allowing Mr Essel to adjust his immigration status. He reportedly filed two separate motions in 2019 and 2021 to reopen the case and facilitate the adjustment of his status, but both were denied because they were filed late.

Mr Essel took the matter to the United States Court of Appeals in 2022 but the court refused to review his petition, which left him in immigration limbo before he was arrested last week by ICE as part of President Donald Trump’s mass immigration crackdown. 

Meanwhile, the university maintained that it followed federal law during the hiring process of Mr Essel, including his work eligibility and background checks.

It noted that the defendant would remain on paid leave pending the conclusion of the investigation. 

“The university followed its standard hiring procedures and federal law, including criminal background check and verification of his eligibility to work in the United States.

University leadership is working to better understand the situation and determine appropriate action. In accordance with university policy, Mr Essel is currently on paid administrative leave pending completion of our evaluation,” the university added.