ICE Detains KSU Athlete Heading to Tournament

A Kentucky State University basketball player hasn't seen a court in weeks—she's been in immigration detention instead. Attorney Sadiqa Reynolds says 26-year-old student-athlete Aminata Seck was taken into custody by ICE at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Aug. 7 as her team traveled to New York for a tournament, per the Louisville Courier Journal. Reynolds says Seck has since been shuttled through at least four facilities and is now being held in Grayson County, where a torn Achilles tendon and limited access to ice and care have left her "in so much pain."

Reynolds believes a missed student visa deadline tied to back surgery may be at issue. Kentucky State declined to comment, citing privacy, though Seck's coach has gone "above and beyond" in advocating for her, Reynolds says. "She needs surgery. She needs medical attention," Reynolds writes in a Facebook post, adding it's time for the public to "step up." Basketball analyst Nia Symone calls the situation "very concerning," describing Seck as "a great kid" who "came to the states from Senegal to play the game she loves and get a higher education."