MVSU men's basketball player from China in ICE custody

A men's basketball player from Mississippi Valley State has been placed in ICE custody. Qingfang Pang, who is from China, was detained on Sept. 29 and is being held at the Richwood Correctional Facility in Richwood, Louisiana, according to the ICE database. "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." 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. "He accepted voluntary departure and will remain in ICE custody pending removal," the email read. "This administration will not ignore the rule of law." Pang spent the past 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. Pang's detainment is not the first case of an NCAA athlete being detained by ICE. Kentucky State University women's basketball player Aminata Seck was taken into custody two months ago before being released on bond Wednesday Seck, from Dakar, Senegal, was released from a detention center in Kentucky after an immigration judge determined that she is neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk, according to her attorney. The Department of Homeland Security said Seck entered the U.S. legally in 2019 on a temporary basis and overstayed "her welcome in violation of our nation's laws," adding that a judge ordered Seck's removal in September 2025 after she missed an immigration hearing. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.