Former Syracuse basketball player deported after visa expiration and ICE detention
Apr 3, 2026·Location: Syracuse, NY
Country of origin: Sudan

John Bol Ajak, a 26-year-old former Syracuse University basketball player, was taken into ICE custody in early March 2026 following his arrest in Syracuse on charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. His student visa had expired in 2023 after his graduation. He was held at Buffalo Federal Detention Facility and Moshannon Valley Processing Center for over a month. During a virtual hearing with Elizabeth Immigration Court in New Jersey on April 2-3, 2026, an immigration judge found that Ajak had overstayed his visa. Ajak agreed to voluntary deportation to South Sudan and was scheduled for removal within 60 days.
Timeline
Sources
- aol.com
- linkedin.com
- John Bol Ajak the painful fall of a Syracuse basketball star - Black Times
blacktimes.com·Apr 4, 2026·archived copy
- themirror.com
- aol.com
- Former Syracuse basketball player John Bol Ajak to be deported after month in ICE custody
sports.yahoo.com·Apr 3, 2026·archived copy
- Former Syracuse Basketball Player, 26, Detained by ICE While Homeless: ‘Overwhelmingly Sad’
sports.yahoo.com·Mar 7, 2026·archived copy
- Homeless former Syracuse basketball player John Bol Ajak detained by ICE
sports.yahoo.com·Mar 6, 2026·archived copy
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