Kentucky State basketball player Amina Seck will not be deported immediately after an immigration judge granted a motion to reopen her deportation proceedings on Wednesday. The decision pauses her removal order and makes her eligible for a bond hearing that could lead to her release from federal custody.
Seck, 26, who has been held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement since August 7, is currently detained at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Kentucky. Her attorney, Hishem Alsalman, told The Athletic that the motion to reopen convinced the judge there are sufficient grounds for a full hearing on whether Seck’s deportation order should stand. A master hearing, which is the initial court appearance to review the case, has been scheduled for November 20.
Seck’s detention began when she was arrested by ICE at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport as she travelled with her basketball team to New York. Since then, she has been transferred four times between facilities. Alsalman said Seck suffered a torn ACL and was scheduled for surgery on September 7 but missed the procedure and the expected recovery timeline because of her detention. She was also treated for a seizure last week at a local hospital and has been held in isolation since last Thursday, reportedly to allow her to heal properly.
“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.
Seck came to the United States from Senegal in 2019 on a student visa. The Department of Homeland Security informed her legal team that it mailed her a notice to appear in court dated September 5, 2025, but Alsalman said Seck never received the notice. The lack of receipt has been a point of contention in her case.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If Seck is granted bond and released, she will be required to continue attending all immigration court hearings but would be able to do so outside detention. Her legal team is pursuing this option to help her recover physically and resume her education.
Seck’s case has drawn attention because of the health issues she is facing while in custody and the timing of her arrest during a team travel. The upcoming hearing will determine whether her deportation order remains valid and if she can remain in the United States.
Her legal team continues to advocate for her release as they prepare for the November hearing.
According to Yahoo Sports.