College Basketball Player Detained by ICE Needs Surgery, Attorney Says
Amina Seck, a graduate student from Senegal, is reportedly in ICE custody in Louisville while awaiting medical treatment for an Achilles tendon injury.
A graduate student and women's college basketball player from Senegal, Amina Seck, has reportedly been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisville, Kentucky, as she awaits surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. Sadiqa Reynolds, an attorney and social justice advocate, shared the information on social media.
According to Reynolds, Seck was arrested at an airport on August 7 while traveling with her team, Kentucky State University, for a tournament. Reynolds stated that Seck may have missed an immigration deadline due to a recent back surgery. Seck has been in ICE custody since her arrest and is in need of further medical attention.
"She needs surgery. She needs medical attention," Reynolds wrote in an Instagram post. "She was arrested at the airport while traveling with the team. Kentucky State has done what they can and now we must step up."
Seck, 26, is from Dakar, Senegal, and is a graduate student at Kentucky State. Reynolds told the Louisville Courier-Journal that Seck was apprehended at security while the team was en route to New York. Since September 16, when Reynolds last spoke with Seck, the basketball player has been transferred between multiple locations in Kentucky and Chicago.
ICE's detainee locator system does not currently list Seck, but she is named among the inmates at the Grayson County Detention Center. An entry on the detention center's inmate roster lists "US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY / ICE" under the description section.
Reynolds described Seck as being in significant pain from the injury, which she referred to as an "ACL" injury in one account and a torn Achilles tendon in her social media post. Seck is reportedly on a student visa.
A spokesperson for Kentucky State University declined to comment on the situation, citing respect for the privacy of those involved. Reynolds commended Seck's coach, Amani Williams, for her extensive support of the player, describing her actions as akin to a mother's care.
