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18-year-old Duke Blue Devils star Khaman Maluach, a freshman from South Sudan and a potential top-10 pick in the NBA Draft, might soon find himself being deported, according to a recent announcement made by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio made the announcement on Saturday night while Maluach was playing in Duke’s Final Four game versus the University of Houston.
“I am taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately, due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner,” Marco Rubio wrote in a post on X (Twitter). He would also add on the Secretary of State’s website, “We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation.”
At the time, a Duke University spokesperson said that the school had no comment on the situation. It has since been reported that Duke spokesman Frank Tramble issued a statement which explained, “Duke University is aware of the announcement from the Department of State regarding visa holders from South Sudan. We are looking into the situation and working expeditiously to understand any implications for Duke students.”
Khaman Maluach was not made available to reporters after Saturday night’s game and has yet to make a comment. During the game, the 7-foot-2 star only scored six points and didn’t grab a single rebound in 21 minutes.
On Sunday, a state department spokesperson said that Marco Rubio’s decision would “impact all those who have a U.S. visa in a South Sudanese passport and anyone with a South Sudanese passport who is applying for a U.S. visa,” adding, “We will provide further information and instructions to affected visa holders and applicants as it is available.”