After 61 days, Aminata Seck has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Seck, 26, a women’s basketball player from Senegal who plays at Kentucky State University, was detained by ICE at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Aug. 7.
Now, two months later, she was released on a $2,500 bond on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Last week, Memphis Immigration Court Judge Kelly Lake granted a motion to reopen Seck’s immigration proceedings, ruling that Seck had demonstrated that she did not receive the notice of removal that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it served on Sept. 8, 2025.
Her attorney, Hishem Alsalman of Alsalman Law Office – an immigration law firm based in Louisville – told USA
TODAY Sports in a statement that Seck’s release was an “important victory.”
“Aminata is finally able to reunite with her family and loved ones and begin addressing her urgent medical needs, including the knee surgery she has been unable to receive while detained,” Alsalman said. “While her immigration proceedings remain ongoing, she will now have the opportunity to pursue her case outside of detention.”
Seck was dealing with an ACL injury and wearing a brace on her leg before she was taken into ICE custody. On Sept. 23, DHS said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports that Seck was “referred to the local hospital, where she is receiving treatment for knee pain.”
DHS said Seck legally entered the country on Sept. 1, 2019, through Los Angeles on a temporary basis and “chose to overstay her welcome.”
According to her attorneys, Seck had been moved to at least four different detention centers while in ICE custody and most recently held at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Kentucky. As recently as last week, Seck was being held in solitary confinement because officials at the prison had “security concerns” with her knee brace being used as a weapon. Seck also experienced seizures during her detainment, her attorneys said.
Aminata Seck released from ICE on bond: What's next?
Photos of Seck standing in front of Metro Hall in Louisville after her release show her in a green Kentucky State long sleeve shirt, black pants and a large brace on her left leg. Alongside her were her members of her family, her attorneys Alsalman and Sadiqua Reynolds, state Rep. Nima Kulkarni, and Democratic Congressman Morgan McGarvey.
Seck’s release – and the ruling by the judge in Memphis – paves the way for her to present her case through the immigration process, and her petition for a writ of habeas corpus remains pending in federal court in the Western District of Kentucky. Seck’s appearance in immigration court is set for Nov. 20.
“Aminata's release is a reminder of the importance of due process and ensuring that individuals have a meaningful opportunity to seek relief under our immigration laws,” Alsalman said. “We are grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support from the community, her teammates, coaches, and everyone who has advocated for her. Our office remains committed to representing Aminata as she moves forward with her immigration proceedings.”
Who is Aminata Seck?
Seck, who is listed as a senior on Kentucky State's roster, started 20 of 26 games for the Thorobreds last season and was named third-team All-SIAC after averaging 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. She scored a season-high 30 points against Lane College on Jan. 14 and grabbed a season-best 16 rebounds against Clark-Atlanta University on Feb. 23.
Additionally, Seck was named a recipient of the SIAC’s Elite 16 award, the conference’s highest academic achievement honor for student-athletes who demonstrate exemplary performance in athletics and the classroom.
The 6-foot-4 forward previously played at Langston University, Central Baptist College and Northwest Kansas Technical College. Kentucky State, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, is a historically Black college which plays its sports at the Division II level of the NCAA.
In 2025, 264 international players competed in March Madness for men’s and women’s basketball, amounting to about 15% of all players, according to the NCAA. Since 2010, the number of international players in men’s and women’s college basketball has increased by 175%.
ICE arrests in Kentucky have increased by nearly 70% this year, according to a data analysis by the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women’s college basketball player detained by ICE released on bond
