NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
A former Syracuse basketball player is being deported to Sudan after spending several weeks in ICE custody.
John Bol Ajak was taken into custody on Feb. 18 and agreed to a deportation order Thursday, according to Syracuse.com.
The outlet reported that Ajak had been given the option of either voluntary departure or a deportation order, and he chose the latter. The US government pays for deportation orders, while voluntary departure allows for future entry.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
John Bol Ajak of the Syracuse Orange reacts during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on January 14, 2023. (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
“If this is how I travel, I will never set foot in this country again,” Ajak said.
Ajak was being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Pennsylvania, and had been living in Syracuse.
John Bol Ajak of the Syracuse Orange prepares to play against the Georgetown Hoyas in the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on December 10, 2022. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
GRAMMY AWARD WINNING RAPPER SET TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL IN CHINA
He was arrested four times from December until he was placed in ICE custody for trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He admitted Thursday that he had been in the country illegally after his F-1 student visa expired, which also resulted in him not being able to attend the university’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Ajak came to the United States from Kenya in 2014 to pursue educational and basketball opportunities in Pennsylvania, and played for the Orange from 2020 to 2023 under Jim Boeheim.
Syracuse’s John Bol Ajak celebrates after the team’s win against San Diego State in the first round of the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on March 19, 2021. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
At 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds, he played in 35 games and logged 234 total minutes among one start. He scored a career-high 21 points and had 43 rebounds, 26 assists and 27 personal fouls.
Ajak was born in South Sudan, but his family fled to Kenya when he was an infant during the country’s civil war.
