Competitive Street Fighter player Ludovic Mbock spent six weeks in immigration detention after ICE agents arrested him during a routine check-in in Maryland. Within days, the fighting game community launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $100,000 (£7,439.65) for his legal defence and helped secure his release.
Mbock, 39, was detained on 17 February during an appointment at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Baltimore. According to his attorney, Edward Neufville, Mbock had attended similar immigration check-ins for nearly two decades following complications with his residency status after his mother's marriage dissolved.
After his arrest, ICE transferred Mbock through multiple detention facilities across several states while friends scrambled to locate him and secure legal representation.
Friends and tournament organisers began contacting immigration lawyers, organising fundraisers and spreading information online. Members of the competitive gaming scene, commonly known as the FGC or fighting game community, raised money through tournaments, social media campaigns and direct donations.
'We had to cold-call like 50 lawyers,' said fellow player Nikhil DeLaHaye to The Washington Post.
The Evolution Championship Series, one of the world's largest fighting game tournaments, contributed thousands of dollars to the fundraiser, which eventually exceeded $100,000 (£7,439.65).
ICE Case Drew National Attention
Mbock's case quickly spread beyond gaming circles because it arrived amid a sharp increase in immigration arrests across the US.
According to the Washington Post analysis of federal data, ICE made nearly 20,000 arrests across Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia between January 2025 and March 2026. Roughly 60 percent of those arrested reportedly had no prior criminal record.
Many arrests occurred during scheduled immigration check-ins.
Neufville argued that cases like Mbock's reflect a widening enforcement strategy targeting people already complying with immigration supervision requirements.
'You arrest them, you detain them, and then the lawyers get to figure out whether or not the detention is lawful,' he said.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson disputed Mbock's account and described him as an 'illegal alien' who failed to leave the country after receiving a voluntary departure order that later became a final removal order.
Mbock is seeking asylum in the US. He was born in Cameroon, where homosexuality remains criminalised.
His final asylum hearing is currently scheduled for December 2028. Neufville said he plans to seek an earlier hearing date and request removal of the ankle monitor Mbock has worn since his release.
Gaming Became Mbock's Lifeline
Inside competitive gaming circles, Mbock is widely respected as one of the world's strongest Chun-Li players in the Street Fighter franchise.
He built an international reputation over the past decade after defeating several high-profile players, including Japanese Street Fighter legend Daigo Umehara.
Friends describe him as deeply involved in the community beyond competition itself.
'Lud's been someone who has made the lives of everyone he's interacted with better,' DeLaHaye said.
Mbock said gaming helped stabilise his life after a previous ICE detention in 2008 interrupted his college education and left him struggling emotionally.
During his most recent detention, he said conditions were exhausting. Lights remained on overnight, privacy was limited and some detainees repeatedly confronted him over his sexuality.
'They'll be like, you need to have children, you should have a family,' Mbock said. 'I just listened, but I was mad the entire time.'
Despite that, friends said Mbock continued trying to help other detainees by passing along names of people who lacked legal representation so supporters outside detention could attempt to connect them with lawyers.
Community Support Helped Secure Release
At Mbock's March bond hearing in Maryland, roughly 25 members of the fighting game community attended court proceedings to support him and testify to his character.
A judge later approved a $4,000 (£2,975.86) bond. ICE did not appeal the decision.
Mbock now lives under electronic monitoring while continuing his legal fight. He said the ankle monitor affects his daily life constantly, including how he dresses in public.
'When I wake up, I think, "Let me charge it",' he said. 'Before I go out, let me not forget the battery.'
Since his release, Mbock and his supporters have hosted workshops explaining how communities can respond when friends or relatives are detained by immigration authorities.
Mbock recently travelled to Illinois to attend Combo Breaker, one of the country's biggest fighting game tournaments. He plans to continue competing while his immigration case moves through the courts.
'I do believe it's going to go well,' he said. 'I don't want to feel like I'm stuck in limbo again.'
