A Mississippi Valley State basketball player who was detained by ICE several weeks ago was released on bond on Tuesday afternoon.
Qingfang Pang, a 21, came to the United States from China three years ago and is a member of the Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball team. He was arrested on Sept. 29 while trying to board a flight from Jackson, Mississippi, to New York. Pang had been detained by ICE in Louisiana ever since.
Pang’s attorney, Marcus Session, told ESPN on Tuesday that he was the victim of a “procedural mistake.” Pang’s student visa expired last month, and he was unaware that he had not filed the correct paperwork to renew it.
Then, while he was detained, Session said Peng was “coerced” into signing a voluntary departure document by ICE officials. Session said that Peng, who has a limited knowledge of the English language, didn’t understand the document he was signing. It has since been rescinded, and Peng wants to remain in Mississippi.
"He legally entered the U.S. on November 17, 2023 on a temporary basis not to exceed September 5, 2024, but illegally overstayed,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, via ESPN. “All of his claims will be heard by an immigration judge, and he will receive due process. This administration will not ignore the rule of law."
Pang, a 6-foot-9 forward, played high school basketball in New York. He transferred into Mississippi Valley State this past offseason after getting his start at Monroe University. Mississippi Valley State officials were the ones that discovered Pang’s F-1 student visa had expired, and told him he had to leave campus. Session said he was on his way to his guardian’s home in New York when he was arrested at the airport.
Pang is due in court next on Oct. 27.
"He's a strong kid, but even a strong kid would have his emotions and faith tested," Session said.
Peng is the second college basketball player in the United States to be detained by ICE in recent weeks. Aminata Seck, a member of the Kentucky State women’s basketball team, was detained in August. Seck, who is from Senegal, was released on bond on Oct. 7.