An immigration judge halted the deportation order for Kentucky State basketball player Amina Seck on Wednesday. Seck, who has been in custody since Aug. 7, can now seek a bond hearing. Her attorney said, "The next step for us is trying to secure her release from ICE custody."
An immigration judge granted Kentucky State basketball player Amina Seck a motion to reopen her deportation proceedings in court on Wednesday afternoon, halting her deportation order, Seck's attorney Hishem Alsalman told The Athletic.
Seck, 26, a native of Senegal who has been in federal custody since Aug. 7, is now eligible for a bond hearing which could grant her release from Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Ky. If released, she would be required to continue making appearances in immigration court, but would be able to do that without being in detention.
A master hearing, which will be Seck's initial appearance in front of an immigration judge who will review the facts of the case, has been scheduled for Nov. 20. Seck's legal team said the judge agreed that there was enough justification provided in the motion to reopen to warrant a full hearing on whether her removal order was still valid.
"The next step for us is trying to secure her release from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody to ensure she gets the proper medical treatment and be able to heal and continue pursuing her education here in the United States as she was already doing," Alsalman said.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Seck came to the United States from Senegal on a student visa in 2019. DHS told Seck's legal team that it had mailed her a notice to appear on Sept. 5, 2025, but Alsalman said Seck never received the notice.
Seck was arrested by ICE on Aug. 7 at the Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Ky., while traveling with her team to New York. She has been moved four times while in custody. According to online records, Seck is currently being held at Grayson County Detention Center.
Alsalman said that Seck, who has a torn ACL and had surgery scheduled for Sept. 7, has missed her recovery timeline for the knee injury. She was also treated for a seizure last week at a local hospital, and has been held in isolation since she was released last Thursday, Alsalman said. When Seck's legal team asked why, they were informed that it was so she could properly heal.