Christian commentator Samuel Sey will be deported from the United States after Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him at an Ohio airport, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The 39-year-old Ghanaian-born writer was arrested Oct. 21 at Columbus International Airport and is being held at Butler County Jail in Hamilton, Ohio.
“Sey has no pending applications and accepted voluntary departure,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement shared publicly by journalist Megan Basham. “He will remain in ICE custody until removed from the United States.” The department said Sey entered the United States legally in 2022 but overstayed his authorized admission by more than four years.
Public booking records reviewed by The Roys Report showed Sey booked shortly after 3:30 p.m. Oct. 21 with his status listed as “Hold for ICE.” No criminal charge appeared in the record. DHS said the arrest was an enforcement action under federal immigration law and added, “We do not pick and choose which laws to enforce or where to enforce them.”
Sey’s supporters have described the situation differently. Joel Berry, who helped organize a fundraiser for Sey’s wife and three children, wrote that Sey had been living in the United States as a legal resident and called the matter a “clerical mistake.” Berry said the family was facing legal and living expenses while seeking a resolution. A GiveSendGo campaign identified as support for Sey’s family had raised thousands of dollars by Oct. 25, according to Religion News Service.
The detention drew attention because Sey has previously defended immigration enforcement. He is known for the The Narrative with Aaron Baer podcast and for writing about theology, abortion, race and cultural issues. The Center for Christian Virtue announced in September that Sey would join its president, Aaron Baer, as co-host of the program.
Basham, who has appeared with Sey on the podcast, said she had been in contact with Sey and his wife and would sit in for him on an upcoming episode. DHS also encouraged people who lack legal status to use the CBP Home application to arrange departure, saying the government is offering $3,000 and free flights to some people who self-deport. The department’s statement did not provide a removal date or further details about Sey’s travel arrangements.
Image Credits:
• US Government SUV with "Defend The Homeland" "Integrity, Courage, Endurance" written on it as seen in Minneapolis on January 8, 2026 via Wikimedia Commons by Chad Davis with usage type - Creative Commons License, By Chad Davis, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181539097
Featured Image Credit:
• US Government SUV with "Defend The Homeland" "Integrity, Courage, Endurance" written on it as seen in Minneapolis on January 8, 2026 via Wikimedia Commons by Chad Davis with usage type - Creative Commons License, By Chad Davis, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181539097