ICE detains Mississippi Valley State men's basketball player over visa
A Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball player has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Qingfang Pang, a junior power forward on the Delta Devils, is in ICE custody at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, according to the ICE database.
Pang is from China, with a listed hometown of Queens, New York on the official Mississippi Valley State roster. Before enrolling in college, Pang played high school basketball at Christ the King High School in Queens.
In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that Pang was arrested on Sept. 29, confirming a report from WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi, which first broke the story. According to DHS, Pang legally entered the U.S. on Nov. 17, 2023 on a temporary basis not to exceed Sept. 5, 2024, but illegally overstayed.
"He accepted voluntary departure and will remain in ICE custody pending removal," the statement read.
Pang’s Houston-based attorney, Marcus Session, told WJTV that Pang was in the process of going to New York to be with his sponsor, a family friend, to get his visa issue sorted out when he was detained by ICE.
🚨 BREAKING: A MVSU men's basketball player has been detained by ICE
Power forward Qingfang Pang is a junior originally from China, listed as having a US hometown in Flushing, Queens
He just transferred in from Monroe U. in NY@ThaoTaTV is first on the story for @WJTV@WHLT22pic.twitter.com/Adyk29wpPT
— David Edelstein 🌐 (@davidzedelstein) October 8, 2026
The station, citing an unnamed source close to the case, said it’s believed that it’s a delayed paperwork issue with the university. Session had filed a request for an emergency bond hearing.
“He wants to resume going to school,” Session said to WJTV. “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.”
In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, Mississippi Valley State said it is aware of the situation and is "deeply concerned for the student's well-being."
"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," the university said in the statement.
The school, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), said it is limited in the information it can publicly disclose about a student's educational records or personal circumstances.
Pang transferred in from Monroe University in New York, where he had played on the school’s basketball team. In 31 games last season, he averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. According to WJTV, he had been at Mississippi Valley State for about a year.
He's not the first college basketball player to be detained by ICE this year.
Before being released this week on a $2,500 bond, Kentucky State women's basketball player Aminata Seck was in ICE custody for 61 days. A native of Senegal, Seck was detained by ICE at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky on Aug. 7. In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, DHS said Seck "chose to overstay her welcome in violation of our nation's laws" after legally entering the country in 2019 on a temporary basis. Seck's attorneys said that she had been moved to at least four different detention centers while in ICE custody.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ICE detains Mississippi Valley State men's basketball player over visa
Comments (0)
Log in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.