U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Cui Lijie, a 68-year-old Chinese billionaire and prominent casino investor, at Saipan International Airport over alleged immigration violations, thrusting her into international headlines and renewing scrutiny over the controversial Imperial Pacific casino project on the U.S. territory. Cui’s detention has drawn attention not only because of her wealth and global business footprint, but also due to her connections to high-stakes gambling ventures and legal entanglements in the Pacific region.
Cui, a businesswoman and citizen of Hong Kong who was born in Harbin, China, rose from comparatively humble beginnings to become the majority owner of Imperial Pacific International (IPI), a casino and hospitality company that once held Saipan’s exclusive casino license and was at the center of ambitious development plans. Local authorities in Saipan verified the arrest on January 13, 2026, and she is still being detained while immigration procedures are conducted.
From Humble Beginnings to Casino Powerhouse
Cui Lijie’s path from Heilongjiang province to become a wealthy investor shows the tremendous expansion in the real estate and casino industries. She worked in a variety of industries before to going into the casino sector, such as auto parts manufacture and pawnshop lending. Her son Ji Xiaobo, a casino entrepreneur headquartered in Macau, the greatest gambling hub in the world, partnered with her to make a significant shift into gambling.
Together, Cui and her son moved into the casino junket business in the late 2000s and later, through a Hong Kong-listed company, acquired control of IPI. Under their leadership, IPI secured the exclusive licence to operate a casino and adjacent hotel complex in Garapan, Saipan, with expectations of transforming the small Pacific island into a major gaming destination. At its peak, the Imperial Pacific Palace Hotel and Casino was envisioned as a sprawling resort destination featuring luxury amenities and gaming facilities believed to comprise thousands of slot machines and gaming tables. The development attracted international interest due to its remote location and planned scale, symbolising a bold gamble on Saipan’s tourism potential. However, the project later encountered serious operational, financial and legal challenges.
Casino Controversies and Legal Troubles:
The Imperial Pacific project was plagued by controversies almost from the start. Beyond the financial strain of building a large-scale casino resort on a relatively isolated island, the venture drew scrutiny from U.S. authorities and the media over workplace violations, safety issues and visa disruptions involving foreign labourers. These concerns triggered broader investigations by federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), into potential breaches of labour and immigration law.
The project’s course was further complicated by accusations that IPI violated U.S. federal immigration laws by hiring workers on tourist visas instead of the requisite work visas. As they struggle with labor shortages, building costs, and regulatory compliance, casino developers in the Pacific have frequently faced these kinds of accusations. Due to a number of issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak and growing legal attention, the casino was forced to close by March 2020. In April 2024, it finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing excessive debt (more than $165 million in liabilities) and a pressing need to restructure its finances. The consequences of IPI’s problems put greater pressure on Cui and the organization’s leadership.
Arrest and Immigration Proceedings:
Cui Lijie’s arrest by ICE on Saipan has been attributed to alleged immigration violations, specifically related to the status of her investor visa. Foreign investors residing in U.S. territories such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are typically required to maintain a valid E-2C long-term investor visa if their stay is tied to business activity. Reports suggest that her visa status may have lapsed, leading to her detention and forthcoming legal proceedings.
Legal filings indicate that Cui voluntarily approached U.S. immigration officials in an attempt to resolve her residency status prior to her arrest. She testified that she had visited the ICE office multiple times and had even submitted explanations for her extended stay, including a pending lawsuit involving Imperial Pacific. Despite these interactions, she was detained on January 13, highlighting the strict enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, particularly in investment-linked cases.
Cui’s age and poor command of the English language make her predicament much more problematic; court documents reveal that she has needed a translator during sessions. She clarified that she first entered the CNMI in 2016, remained there until 2019, and then left again in 2020. In 2024, she married a citizen of the United States and submitted an application for a green card. These personal connections haven’t stopped her from being detained, though, because her present immigration status is being closely examined by the courts. Ahead of her next scheduled hearing, which will assess her immigration violations and determine if she qualifies for possible relief or deportation, the arrest has sparked legal action. As is common with many high-profile detentions when information are progressively revealed through litigation, ICE has not yet made public the precise grounds for her arrest beyond immigration status.
