US ICE plans to block release of troubled casino owner Cui Lijie
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is likely to oppose the release of Cui Lijie (right in the featured image), the former chairwoman of Imperial Pacific International, who is still in US custody after being arrested by immigration authorities. This is despite a previous decision by a Saipan immigration judge that granted her bail.
Cui, a major figure behind the now-defunct Imperial Palace casino resort in Saipan, was detained earlier this month by ICE over alleged immigration violations. An immigration judge later approved her temporary release on a $10,000 bond, ruling that she did not pose a danger and setting conditions including attendance at future hearings and regular reporting to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
However, DHS has since said it intends to appeal that decision, seeking to prevent Cui’s release while her case remains under review. A further immigration hearing has been scheduled for 18 February 2026.
Accused of violating visa norms
According to ICE, Cui is accused of overstaying her E-2C long-term investor visa. Her legal representatives have argued that she has a pending petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which, if approved, could allow her to pursue legal permanent residence in the United States.
DHS attorneys have opposed her release, citing a previous contempt order linked to a labour dispute involving Imperial Pacific International (IPI). US authorities have not released additional details about the alleged violations or the wider investigation.
Cui is the majority shareholder of Imperial Pacific International, the company that operated the Imperial Palace casino resort in Saipan between 2016 and 2020. The casino, once positioned as a flagship gaming project in the Northern Mariana Islands, closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened.
Financial difficulties continued after the formal closure of the property. Imperial Pacific’s casino licence was suspended in June 2020 due to unpaid regulatory obligations, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2024 as liabilities exceeded $165.8 million. In August 2025, Team King Investment (CNMI) LLC acquired Imperial Pacific’s casino assets and property at auction for $12.95 million. The sale helped clear nearly $169 million in outstanding liabilities, marking the formal end of Imperial Pacific’s casino operations in Saipan.
Imperial Pacific’s tainted history
The company’s history in the region has long been controversial. In 2017, the FBI raided Imperial Pacific’s casino construction site following the death of a worker and allegations of violations of the US workplace visa system. Over the years, the company faced accusations ranging from labour abuses and wage violations to the employment of undocumented workers.
Imperial Pacific denied wrongdoing at the time and challenged some media reporting in court. However, US authorities later charged several individuals connected to the company in cases related to labour and immigration offences.
Cui’s detention has once again raised a question on the broader legacy of Imperial Pacific’s casino project and the regulatory challenges faced by gambling operators in US-affiliated jurisdictions. While her current legal case centres on immigration law rather than gambling offences, her role in one of the region’s most high-profile casino collapses continues to draw criticism. As the hearing nears in February 2026, she remains in custody while DHS pursues its appeal.
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