Women's Basketball Player Released from ICE Custody After Two Months
Aminata Seck, a student-athlete from Senegal, details conditions of her detention and concerns about medical care.
A women's basketball player for Kentucky State University has been released on bond from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained for two months. Aminata Seck, a native of Senegal, was arrested on August 7 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated Seck entered the country legally in 2019 on a temporary basis and overstayed her visa, leading to a judge ordering her removal after she missed an immigration hearing in September 2025.
An immigration judge set Seck's bond at $2,500, and she has since returned home. Seck, who is dealing with a torn ACL and meniscus, had surgery postponed during her detention. Her attorney, Sadiqa Reynolds, stated that Seck did not regularly receive treatment while in custody. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Fox News Digital that ICE provides comprehensive medical care, including access to medical appointments and emergency care, and that detainees have access to phones to communicate with family and lawyers.
Seck reported spending a week in isolation for refusing to remove a knee brace prescribed for her injury. "By myself in that room, with nobody — just me and myself, looking at the wall, no books or anything," Seck said during a press conference, according to KFVS. Images from the press conference showed women detainees and supporters gathered outside Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Center in Newark, advocating for the release of detainees with medical conditions.
U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., commented at the press conference, stating, "She has no criminal record, but ICE grabbed her from her team and threw her in a jail cell for two months." DHS countered that detention is a choice and encouraged individuals to utilize the CBP Home App for self-departure, citing an offer of $3,000 and a flight for those who choose to self-deport. The department added that failure to do so could result in arrest and deportation without the possibility of return.
Last season, Seck played in 20 games for Kentucky State University, starting 17, and averaged 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She expressed a desire to return to school, pursue her master's degree, and undergo her surgery. Seck's immigration case is ongoing, with a court date scheduled for next month.