ICE arrests IPI's Lijie Cui (majority shareholder in company awarded exclusive casino rights in CNMI)
IMPERIAL Pacific International majority shareholder Lijie Cui was arrested Tuesday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for alleged immigration violations, Variety has learned.
Cui, 68, is being held at the Department of Corrections, Commissioner Anthony Torres confirmed.
Cui has been a central figure in IPI, which operated Saipan’s casino for four years before shutting down in March 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 19, 2024, reporting more than $165.8 million in liabilities.
The arrest comes as IPI’s long-running bankruptcy case continues to reshape the future of its casino assets. Team King Investment won the bid for those assets during a court-approved auction on Feb. 26, 2025. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Faris approved the sale on April 29, 2025, after resolving objections from several creditors.
Read more: https://www.mvariety.com/news/local/local-news-breaking-news-ice-arrests-ipis-lijie-cui-ye70ikub/article_45664d91-c591-497d-a627-30c9f5e44713.html/
(Marianas Variety)
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Cui, a Chinese national and longtime Hong Kong resident, has been a central figure in IPI, which operated Saipan’s casino for four years before shutting down in March 2020 at the onset of the Covid‑19 pandemic. She and her son, Xiaobo Ji, also a Chinese national, oversaw the development of the casino and hotel project in Garapan.
As a foreign investor operating in a U.S. jurisdiction, Cui is required to maintain a valid E‑2C long‑term investor visa to remain in the CNMI.