Kentucky State Basketball Player Aminata Seck Released From ICE Custody After 61 Days

Kentucky State University women’s basketball player Aminata Seck has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after spending 61 days detained in Kentucky.

Seck, 26, a native of Dakar, Senegal, was released Wednesday, October 7, on a $2,500 bond after an immigration judge determined she was neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk. She was greeted by family members outside the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield.

Following her release, Seck said she was focused on returning to school to complete her master’s degree and receiving medical treatment for a torn ACL and meniscus. Her knee surgery had been postponed during her detention.

Seck was arrested August 7 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport while preparing to travel with her basketball coach to an HBCU all-star game. She had been dealing with the knee injury and wearing a brace before her arrest.

The Department of Homeland Security previously said Seck legally entered the United States in 2019 on a temporary basis but later overstayed. DHS also stated that an immigration judge ordered her removal in September 2025 after she missed an immigration hearing.

Seck’s attorneys disputed that account, arguing that she did not receive adequate notice of the hearing. Last week, Memphis Immigration Court Judge Kelly Lake granted a motion to reopen Seck’s immigration proceedings after determining that she had demonstrated she did not receive notice of the removal hearing. Her previous removal order was subsequently rescinded.

Her immigration case remains ongoing, with another court hearing scheduled for November 20. Her attorneys are also pursuing a federal habeas corpus case.

Seck described the final week of her detention, when she was held in isolation, as one of the most difficult parts of the experience. Her attorneys also said she experienced seizures while detained and had been moved between multiple detention facilities.

On the basketball court, Seck is a 6-foot-4 graduate student and all-conference center for Kentucky State. Last season, she started 20 of 26 games and averaged 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, earning Third-Team All-SIAC honors and the conference’s Elite 16 academic award.

Now outside of detention, Seck will continue pursuing her education, medical treatment and immigration case.