Mississippi Valley State junior forward Qingfang Pang is in ICE custody following a visa dispute, prompting federal inquiries and university concern.
The terminal at Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport was supposed to be the start of a quick trip for Qingfang Pang. On September 29. the 6-foot-9 junior forward for Mississippi Valley State University headed to the airport. hoping to reach New York City to meet with a visa sponsor. He never made the flight. Instead, the college basketball player was intercepted and taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
He is now being held at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana. According to the Department of Homeland Security. Pang entered the country in November 2023 on a temporary status that expired on September 5. 2024. The agency stated that Pang accepted voluntary departure and will remain in custody pending removal. However. his attorney. Marcus Session. maintains that his client was compelled to sign the departure document and is actively requesting bond.
The logistical breakdown behind the crisis appears to center on a missing transfer of records. Monroe University. where Pang played two seasons of JUCO basketball before transferring to the Mississippi-based HBCU this offseason. released a statement noting that they stood ready to transfer his immigration documents since the spring. They claim they only received a formal request from Mississippi Valley State on October 8. A spokesperson for Monroe characterized any suggestion of negligence on their part as unfounded. expressing a desire for a speedy resolution.
Pang’s case highlights an increasingly precarious environment for international student-athletes. He is currently the only Division-I player held under these measures. a development that follows the recent detention of other collegiate players. Deng Deng of Southern Connecticut State University was arrested by the agency in early September before eventually being released. Similarly. Aminata Seck. a member of the Kentucky State women’s basketball team. was detained for two months before securing her release on bond this past Wednesday.
Mississippi Valley State. which competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. confirmed they are monitoring the situation and remain deeply concerned for the student’s well-being. The school is working to provide support as the legal process unfolds. The gravity of the situation has reached the halls of government. with multiple members of Congress—including Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker—agreeing to inquire about the case.
Pang’s path to this point included stints at Christ the King in Queens and St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, New Jersey, before his time at Monroe. He now waits in Louisiana as his attorney. the university. and federal representatives navigate the fallout of a visa timeline that expired while the athlete was in the midst of his transition between institutions.
Qingfang Pang ICE Mississippi Valley State college basketball immigration Roger Wicker