Mississippi college basketball player detained by ICE; school is 'deeply concerned'

By
FOX Local
Published October 9, 2026 11:31 AM EDT

ICE logo (Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Another college basketball player has been detained by ICE.
    • According to The Associated Press, the player, Qingfang Pang of China, was detained on Sept. 29.
    • ICE says the student has accepted "voluntary departure" and will remain in custody until he’s deported from the U.S.

A Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball player is in ICE custody in Louisiana, and school officials say they’re "deeply concerned for the student’s well-being."

According to The Associated Press, the player, Qingfang Pang of China, was detained on Sept. 29. 

College basketball player in ICE custody

What we know:

Pang, who’s registered as a full-time student with the university, is being held at the Richwood Correctional Facility in Richwood, Louisiana, the ICE database shows. 

READ MORE: US stops processing immigrant visas, expects pause to last weeks

Pang spent the last two seasons at Monroe University in New York before transferring to Mississippi Valley State. The 6-foot-9 Pang averaged 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds at Monroe.

What they're saying:

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, under which ICE operates, said in an email that Pang entered the U.S. legally on Nov. 17, 2023 on a temporary basis not to exceed Sept. 5, 2024, but remained in the country beyond that date.

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"He accepted voluntary departure and will remain in ICE custody pending removal," the email read. "This administration will not ignore the rule of law."

School is ‘deeply concerned’

The other side:

"Mississippi Valley State University is aware of the situation involving one of our students and is deeply concerned for the student’s well-being," the school said in a statement. "The student is registered as a full-time student at Mississippi Valley State University. University officials are closely monitoring the situation and are committed to providing appropriate support as circumstances develop."

Kentucky State student freed from ICE custody

Meanwhile, a Kentucky State University women’s basketball player from Senegal, who was arrested by ICE, has been released after spending two months in custody.

At a hearing on Tuesday, a judge granted a $2,500 bond for Aminata Seck and it was posted Wednesday after ICE did not appeal, according to Hishem Alsalman, managing attorney of Alsalman Law Office.

The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press.

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