Chinese NCAA Basketball Player Qingfang Pang Detained by ICE Over Visa Status

Chinese basketball player Qingfang Pang, 21, was detained by U.S.

Detention and Pending Removal at Richwood Facility

Pang was intercepted by federal immigration enforcement on September 29 as he prepared to board a flight from Jackson, Mississippi, to New York, according to his defense attorney, Marcus Session. Records from the ICE detainee database place Pang inside the Richwood Detention Center in Louisiana. However, Session contested that account, stating that Pang signed voluntary departure paperwork only at the instruction of immigration agents, and confirmed that legal counsel is actively pursuing a bond petition to address his immigration status.

SEVIS Record Transfer Delays Between Monroe University and Mississippi Valley State University

The immigration complications stem from administrative delays in transferring student status records between institutions. Pang competed for Monroe University in New York during the 2025–2026 season, appearing in 31 games with 27 starts while averaging 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per contest. He subsequently secured a basketball scholarship to join NCAA Division I program Mississippi Valley State University ahead of the upcoming season. Under F-1 visa regulations, international student transfers require a formal SEVIS record transfer initiated by the receiving institution. Monroe University officials confirmed that the school had prepared to transfer Pang’s records as early as the spring semester, awaiting formal application from his new school. That official request, however, was not received by Monroe University until October 7, leaving Pang’s student status unresolved when federal agents detained him on September 29.

U.S. Basketball Background

Standing approximately 2.06 meters tall, Pang built a multi-year athletic resume across the United States. Hailing from Shenzhen, China, he grew up in a basketball-oriented household where both parents competed at high levels; his mother played for a Chinese provincial team, and his father represented the national team in a world event. After starting basketball at age eight and training in Shenzhen, Pang moved to the United States as a teenager. He attended St. Benedict's Preparatory School in New Jersey and Christ the King High School in Queens, New York, while also playing on the club circuit with the NY Renaissance.

Questions Regarding the Status of Legal Proceedings

What is Qingfang Pang’s current legal status? Pang is currently detained at the Richwood Detention Center in Louisiana while his legal team, led by attorney Marcus Session, petitions for bond and works to resolve his F-1 student visa and SEVIS record discrepancies.

Which institutions are involved in the visa transfer issue? The administrative delay involves Monroe University, where Pang previously played, and Mississippi Valley State University, the NCAA Division I program that awarded him a basketball scholarship for the upcoming season.

What athletic background does Pang have in the United States? Before earning his Division I scholarship, Pang played high school basketball in New Jersey and New York, competed for the NY Renaissance club team, and averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds across 31 games for Monroe University.

Attorneys Seek Pang's Release from Louisiana Detention

Legal representatives continue to pursue bond hearings to secure Pang’s release from the Louisiana detention center before scheduled academic and athletic timelines are disrupted. Mississippi Valley State University officials issued a statement expressing concern for Pang’s welfare as attorneys work through federal immigration procedures.