ICE Detentions Disrupt Mid-Major Basketball Rosters
AI-generated image · US National Wire
A Kentucky State player has been released on bond as a Mississippi Valley State athlete remains in custody.
Two college basketball players at mid-major institutions have recently faced detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as The Guardian first reported.
A judge granted a $2,500 bond on Tuesday for Aminata Seck, a 26-year-old center from Senegal playing for Kentucky State University. Seck had been in custody since August 7 and previously earned the SIAC Women’s Basketball Elite 16 academic honor and a spot on the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) all-conference third team. Hishem Alsalman, managing attorney of Alsalman Law Office, stated that the judge found Seck was not a flight risk or a danger to the community. While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously claimed Seck overstayed her welcome and missed a prior immigration hearing, Alsalman noted a judge found she never received notice of those proceedings.
Conversely, Qingfang Pang, a 6ft 9in forward from China, was detained on September 29 and is currently held at the Richwood Correctional Facility in Louisiana. Pang, who transferred to Mississippi Valley State University after two seasons at Monroe University in New York, is facing removal. A DHS spokesperson stated Pang entered the U.S. legally on November 17, 2023, but remained past his authorization date of September 5, 2024.
Mississippi Valley State University released a statement confirming Pang is a full-time student and expressing deep concern for his well-being.