Kentucky State basketball player Aminata Seck released from ICE custody after two months

Aminata Seck, a Senegal‑born women's basketball player at Kentucky State University, was released on bond from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Oct. 9, 2026 after spending two months detained.

The release follows an immigration judge’s decision to set her bond at $2,500. Seck was arrested on Aug. 7, 2026 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport after the Department of Homeland Security said she had overstayed her legal entry, which began in 2019 on a temporary basis.

DHS noted that Seck missed an immigration hearing scheduled for September 2025, prompting the removal order. While in custody, she was confined for two months, during which she spent a week in isolation after refusing to remove a knee brace needed for her torn ACL and meniscus.

Seck’s attorney, Sadiqa Reynolds, said her client did not receive regular medical treatment while detained, and her planned surgery was postponed. DHS spokespersons, however, asserted that ICE provides comprehensive medical, dental and mental‑health services, along with access to phones for family and legal communication.

“By myself in that room, with nobody — just me and myself, looking at the wall, no books or anything,” Seck told reporters via KFVS. U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D‑Ky., labeled the detention as unnecessary, noting she has no criminal record and was taken from her team. He called for better handling of similar cases.

Seck, who played in 20 games last season, starting 17 and averaging 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds, said she is ready to return to school, pursue a master’s degree, and undergo the postponed surgery. Her immigration case remains active, with a court appearance expected next month.