- ICE detained Qingfang Pang, a Chinese basketball player, in Mississippi on September 29, 2026, over an alleged student-visa overstay.
- DHS said Pang’s temporary status ended September 5, 2024, and that he accepted voluntary departure.
- His lawyer’s emergency bond request had not advanced in immigration court; the reported paperwork explanation remains unconfirmed.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Mississippi Valley State University basketball player Qingfang Pang on September 29, 2026, over an alleged student-visa overstay. He is a 21-year-old Chinese national and a 6-foot-9 junior forward.
The ICE detainee locator listed Pang at Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana. He was reportedly traveling from Jackson, Mississippi, to New York to stay with a longtime family friend who had sponsored and supported him in the United States.
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A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Pang entered the country lawfully on November 17, 2023. His temporary status ended on September 5, 2024, DHS said. The department also said he accepted voluntary departure and would remain in ICE custody pending removal.
Houston attorney Marcus Session represents Pang. Session said Pang apparently did not know his status had expired and was trying to address the issue and reinstate his student visa.
His lawyer says Pang is trying to restore his student status
Session filed a request for an emergency bond hearing, but said it had not yet moved forward in immigration court. The request remains unresolved.
Pang wants to return to school and continue playing basketball, his attorney said. The immigration-court record and Pang’s status history will bear on his custody, bond eligibility, voluntary-departure posture and potential effort to seek reinstatement.
The paperwork account remains unconfirmed as the schools describe the transfer
Pang transferred to Mississippi Valley State after playing junior-college basketball at Monroe University in New York. He had been at Mississippi Valley State for approximately one year.
A person familiar with the matter said delayed university paperwork may have contributed to the status problem. That account has not been independently confirmed.
Monroe University said it was prepared to transfer Pang’s immigration records after Mississippi Valley State submitted a formal request. Mississippi Valley State said it knew about the situation and was “deeply concerned for the student’s well-being.”
The facts reported so far do not establish whether the issue involved maintaining F-1 status, a SEVIS or school-transfer matter, delayed paperwork, or a combination of factors. The paperwork account and Monroe’s description of its readiness to transfer records are distinct points, not a reported dispute between the schools.
Pang’s attorney has said he hopes to resume classes and play. The emergency bond request had not advanced in immigration court.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
