Qingfang Pang, a 6-foot-9 junior forward for the Mississippi Valley State University men’s basketball team, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at an airport on Sept. 29 while attempting to fly from Jackson, Mississippi, to New York City, according to his attorney, Marcus Session.
Airport Detention Precedes Removal Proceedings
Pang was taken into custody before his flight departed after recently learning from his university that his student visa had expired, Session told Front Office Sports. The junior forward had previously attended high school in New York and maintained a visa sponsor in the city, where he intended to travel.
The spokesperson added that Pang accepted voluntary departure and remains in ICE custody at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana pending removal.
Session disputed the characterization of the departure paperwork, asserting that ICE pressured Pang into signing the voluntary departure documents. Pang’s legal representation is currently pursuing a bond request.
University Response and Transfer Records
Mississippi Valley State University issued a statement acknowledging the situation. University officials stated that they are aware of the circumstances involving their student, expressing deep concern for his current status and committing to provide appropriate support as the matter evolves.
A Monroe University spokesperson stated that the institution had informed Pang that his immigration records would transfer upon receiving an official application from his new school. The spokesperson noted that Monroe received that formal application recently and expressed readiness to assist in resolving the matter quickly.
Broader Collegiate Athletics Context
Pang is one of several college basketball players detained by immigration enforcement agencies in recent months. Kentucky State University women’s basketball player Aminata Seck was released on bond Wednesday after spending two months in detention, while South Connecticut State University player Deng Deng was arrested in early September and subsequently released.
Before his collegiate career, Pang competed in the New York metropolitan area at Christ the King High School in Queens and St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey. Several members of Congress, including Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, have agreed to make further inquiries regarding Pang’s detention status.
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