U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Cui Lijie, a Chinese national and key figure behind a lavish casino on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. unincorporated territory in the West Pacific.
Why It Matters
Cui was the majority shareholder of Hong Kong-based Imperial Pacific International LLC, a now-bankrupt Chinese investment holding company that possessed the island’s only casino license.
The arrest comes as the Trump administration has drastically increased attempts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants, citing sweeping discretionary powers that, according to some legal experts, may violate due process and other rights.
What To Know
Cui, 68, a former Hong Kong resident, was held Tuesday by ICE’s Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations on suspicion of immigration infractions, according to local newspaper Marianas Variety.
The newspaper reported that Cui is being held at the Department of Corrections in the hamlet of Susupe. As of publication, ICE has not provided information about Cui’s arrest or set a date for her hearing with an immigration judge.
Cui and her son, Ji Xiaobo, a Chinese national, built a fortune in Macao’s junket industry before moving on to gaming. They played a significant role in the creation of both the Imperial Pacific Palace and a $600 billion beachside hotel.
A 2018 Bloomberg investigation revealed allegations of extensive unlawful employment of Chinese nationals on tourist visas, safety issues, and millions of dollars in payments to local authorities and their family members.
According to the indictment, three executives of IPI and MCC International Saipan, who were contracted to build the casino and hotel, were indicted in 2020 on charges of illegally employing foreign workers and transferring more than $24 million to the United States to promote illegal activities.
The casino was forced to close in March of that year and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2024, with $165.8 million in liabilities, according to Marianas Variety.
What Happens Next
It is unknown whether Cui held an E-2C visa, which is a temporary categorization for long-term investors in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Team King Investment purchased Imperial Pacific Palace and its casino license for $12.95 million in August. It’s unclear whether Team King and its main sponsor, Chinese-born businessman Hiroshi Kaneko, will repurpose the shuttered building as a casino.