Aminata Seck’s detention shows the bargain facing international college athletes: universities eagerly recruit them, but support can disappear when their immigration status becomes precarious
Earlier this week, news broke for the first time that Senegalese Division II Kentucky State women’s basketball player Aminata Seck was abducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport on 7 August during a trip to attend the HBCU All-Star game in New York. Seck is listed as a Kentucky State senior and last year started 20 of 26 games, earning third-team all-conference honors and an SIAC Elite 16 award for academic achievement. According to a lawyer involved with her case, Sadiqa Reynolds, Seck has been moved through four different ICE facilities since her initial apprehension: Clay County, Chicago, Clark County and Grayson County. Reynolds noted that the reason for Seck’s imprisonment was a missed student visa deadline – what she characterized as “a paperwork situation” – due to back surgery. Reynolds also said that Seck has been suffering from an ACL injury while detained and has received only ibuprofen but no proper medical care.
ICE arrests in Kentucky have risen by 70% this year.
Nathan Kalman-Lamb is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick and co-host of The End of Sport podcast.
Simran Kaur Sethi is Assistant Professor of Sport Leadership at the University of Kentucky where she studies equity and inclusion for international college athletes.
Derek Silva is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at King’s University College at Western University and co-host of The End of Sport podcast.
