Following news of her detainment spreading around social media, Kentucky State student-athlete Aminata Seck has remained in ICE custody and is currently hospitalized. According to a report by Front Office Sports, Aminata Seck has been transferred to four detention facilities since August. Seck's lawyer, Hishem Alsalman, who spoke with Front Office Sports on Thursday, said that she has experienced seizures and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment.

The Department of Homeland Security says Aminata Seck is detained because she missed an immigration hearing. Per a DHS spokesperson who spoke with Front Office Sports, she was issued a final removal order last year.

“She chose to overstay her welcome in violation of our nation's laws,” DHS said in a quote obtained by USA Today. “To be clear: a pending application or work authorization does not confer legal status in the United States.”

But, Alsalman Says that Seck never received the removal order or any notification about the hearing.

“Aminata was not aware that she had ever been placed in removal proceedings, nor was she aware that an immigration judge had entered an in absentia removal order against her,” Alsalman told Front Office Sports. “Far from knowingly ignoring her immigration obligations, she was actively taking steps to ensure that her student status remained intact while continuing her education at Kentucky State University.”

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ICE detained Seck at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on August 7, taking her into custody while she traveled with the Kentucky State University women's basketball team en route to a tournament in New York. Attorney Sadiqa Reynolds told the Courier Journal that Seck has since been transferred between multiple facilities and continues to deal with an ACL injury, unable to receive consistent medical care while in custody.

Seck, a 6-foot-4 center from Dakar, Senegal, transferred to Kentucky State from Langston University and has played for the Lady Thoroughbreds the past two seasons. She emerged as one of the team's most vital players in 2025-26, starting 17 of 20 games while averaging 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds.

U.S. Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D), who represents Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District, said he is monitoring the situation and criticized the Trump administration.

“Aminata is a student-athlete who was arrested by ICE at the airport while traveling with her teammates. The Trump administration’s cruelty knows no bounds but we will never let this become normal and we won’t stop fighting for her.”