A billionaire who once bankrolled a flashy casino project on a remote US island is now in federal custody over her immigration status. ICE has detained Cui Lijie, the 68-year-old Chinese investor who helped drive the now-collapsed Imperial Pacific casino complex on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Western Pacific, Newsweek reports. Marianas Variety reports that Cui was arrested Tuesday by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations on suspicion of immigration violations. She is being held at the Department of Corrections facility in Susupe.
ICE has not released details of the alleged violations, clarified her current visa status, or announced a date for an immigration hearing. Cui was the majority owner of Imperial Pacific International, a Hong Kong-based firm that held Saipan's exclusive casino license until its operations unraveled amid scandal and financial collapse. She and her son, Ji Xiaobo, had previously made their money in Macau's lucrative junket business before shifting into Saipan's casino and hotel development, including the extravagant Imperial Pacific Palace. A 2018 Bloomberg investigation linked the project to alleged illegal employment of Chinese workers, safety lapses, and large payments to local officials and their relatives.
In 2020, three executives tied to Imperial Pacific and its construction contractor were indicted on charges including unlawful employment of foreign workers and moving more than $24 million into the US to support illegal activities. The casino shut down in March 2020 and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2024, listing roughly $166 million in liabilities. Cui's arrest has renewed scrutiny of Saipan's immigration regime. Some Chinese visitors have visa-free access, but foreign investors are required to hold valid E-2C long-term investor visas, and Cui's may have expired, the Standard reports.
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