After ICE released Aminata Seck on bail, another HBCU basketball player has been detained. Mississippi Valley State basketball player Qingfang Pang was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on September 29. Per WJTV 12 News, he was detained for overstaying his student visa and is in a Louisiana ICE detention facility. His attorney is currently looking to secure an emergency bond hearing.
According to his attorney, Marcus Session, Pang didn't realize his student visa had expired, and he was detained as he was traveling to New York to visit a long-time family friend and sponsor. He is in the process of looking to retain his student visa. He's looking into the process to reinstate his student visa and return to Mississippi Valley State.
Session relayed this message in a quote obtained by WJTV 12 News.
“He wants to resume going to school. He wants to play college basketball. He wants to be a 21-year-old kid who’s just trying to make a life for himself.”
Pang is a former three-star recruit who recently transferred to Mississippi Valley State. He had offers from several institutions, including Michigan, Oregon, Rutgers, and Seton Hall, but he ultimately decided to join Mike Davis with the Delta Devils in his first full season with the team. Pang is 6'9″ and is listed as United States/China nationality.
Marcus Session's pain has struggled with the experience of being in ICE custody and spoke to WJTV about how his client is feeling.
“He’s tired of being detained. He’s tired, you know, of feeling that he’s a criminal. And that’s what he expressed.”