Former Syracuse University basketball player John Bol Ajak has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania, The Post-Standard and ICE Records report.
Ajak, 26, who is originally from South Sudan, was recently taken into custody following multiple arrests in Syracuse, NY. The basketball player, who previously attended basketball camps in the US as a child after his family fled conflict in South Sudan, later attended Syracuse University and played on the men’s basketball team from 2020 to 2023.
His detention follows four arrests related to charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing at Newhouse School, where Ajak attended. His arrests occurred on 17 December, 30 January, 31 January and 18 February, with the February arrest followed by pre-trial release. Ajak did not appear in court on 23 February in connection with the trespassing charge and as a result a bench warrant was issued.
Ajax’s head coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim, expressed sadness about the situation, calling it “extremely sad” and criticizing the detention of “good people” in the country. He also highlighted Ajak’s background, emphasizing his childhood in a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing South Sudan and his dreams of giving back to his community.
In the weeks before his detention, Ajak was facing homelessness and attempting to gain admission to graduate school after his student visa expired. On LinkedIn, Ajak expressed his gratitude for the opportunities he has received in the United States, saying he wants to create more opportunities for others, especially in his home country of South Sudan.
Ajak is also the founder of TheHumBolFund, a non-profit that aims to support young children in Africa. His work and passion for helping the less fortunate led him to express his desire to collaborate with the United Nations to help create opportunities for children in his home continent.
ICE, the Syracuse men’s basketball team and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office have been contacted for comment, but did not immediately respond as of Saturday, March 7.