Kentucky State Basketball Player Detained by ICE at Airport

A Kentucky State University women’s basketball player from Senegal was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Aug. 7 at the Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville. Aminata Seck, 26, was detained as she was preparing to travel with her team to a tournament in New York.

Seck’s attorney, Sadiqa Reynolds, stated that Seck is in the United States on a student visa. Reynolds indicated that Seck may have missed a student visa deadline due to undergoing back surgery and also suffering an ACL injury. Reynolds reported that Seck remained in significant pain and had been transferred between multiple detention facilities before being moved to a hospital.

ICE has not yet commented on the reason for Seck's detention or the conditions of her confinement. Seck is listed on the Grayson County, Kentucky, Detention Center’s online inmate roster, with the offense description noted as "US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY / ICE."

U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, whose district includes Louisville, released a statement saying he is monitoring Seck's situation. "Aminata is a student-athlete who was arrested by ICE at the airport while traveling with her teammates," McGarvey said. "The Trump administration’s cruelty knows no bounds, but we will never let this become normal and we won’t stop fighting for her."

Seck was a standout player for Kentucky State, earning a spot on the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Third Team last season. She led the team with 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-4 center also achieved five double-doubles and was named the SIAC Women’s Basketball Elite 16 award winner, which recognizes academic achievement.

Kentucky State University declined to comment on the matter, citing respect for the privacy of those involved.