Trump Gold Card Does Not Confer US Citizenship: Kofi Bentil's Claim Debunked

Claim: $1 million Trump Gold Card can secure Ofori-Atta US citizenship Source: Kofi Bentil (Vice President of IMANI Africa) Verdict: False Researched by Alfa Shaban Kofi Bentil, a lawyer and Vice President of Imani Africa, has suggested that under the Trump Gold Card programme, an applicant can secure American citizenship by investing $1 million in the United States. Bentil made the comment while contributing on The Key Points weekly news analysis programme on TV3 on Saturday, January 17, 2026. According to him, embattled former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is currently detained by US immigration authorities, could get a Trump Gold Card or self-deport to another country other than Ghana to thwart any plans to deport and or extradite him to Ghana to face charges. “Let me tell you some things which are matters of fact, 100% fact. If Ken wants to run away, OK, today in America, you can buy citizenship. In America, if they say Ken is corrupt and as rich as he is, OK, if you invest a certain amount of money in America. They will give you citizenship. Today there’s something called a Trump gold card. It’s worth a million dollars, $1 million,” he said. This report will ascertain whether the Trump Gold Card programme guarantees citizenship. Fact-check GhanaFact found details about the Trump card from multiple official US government websites, including the White House, the TrumpCard.gov, and the Department of Homeland Security’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An Executive Order posted on the White House website on September 19, 2025, which states the purpose and other key modalities of the Gold Card programme, emphasized the value of the card for individuals and businesses as follows: “…to establish eligibility for an immigrant visa using an expedited process, to the extent consistent with law and public safety and national security concerns. The requisite gift amount shall be $1 million for an individual donating on his or her own behalf and $2 million for a corporation or similar entity donating on behalf of an individual.” Nowhere in the executive order is citizenship mentioned as an outcome of the programme. Trumpcard.gov is the official government website of the programme, and it states three major processes as follows: 01Submit Your Application – Your opportunity begins here, with your application and a nonrefundable processing fee. This is the first step to securing the Trump Gold Card. 02Careful Consideration – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services facilitates an in-depth background check and process to vet the potential cardholder. 03Approval – Once an applicant is approved, a Trump Gold Card will be available for use throughout all 50 states and territories. From the above, it is clearly stated that applicants: “for a $15,000 DHS processing fee and after background approval, a contribution of $1 million, receive U.S. residency in record time with the Trump Gold Card.” Also, in the Essential Information and Guidance section of the same webpage, the US government states the legal classification of an approved applicant as follows: “As appropriately determined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and subject to availability, a successful applicant receives lawful permanent resident status as an EB-1 or EB-2 visa holder.” Lastly, on the USCIS website, the relevant application forms (I-140G) and guidelines for completing the same were posted. In the document titled: ‘Form I-140G, Instructions for Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program,’ a relevant paragraph emphasizes that the applicant gets permanent residency, not citizenship. Verdict: From the above, the Trump Gold Card programme gives successful applicants permanent US residency, not citizenship. Legal Permanent Resident vs. US Citizen It is clear that Mr. Bentil falsely attributes the status of citizenship to Trump Gold Card holders who only become permanent residents after their applications are approved. According to the USCIS: “Naturalization is the way that an alien not born in the United States voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen. The most common path to U.S. citizenship through naturalization is being a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years.”