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Duke Blue Devils star Khaman Maluach finds himself stuck in the middle of a visa controversy in the midst of his team’s Final Four showdown with the Houston Cougars. Maluach, a freshman from South Sudan, is a projected top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. But United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday evening that, effectively immediately, he planned revoke all visas held by South Sudan passport holders.
“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,” Rubio tweeted.
Fans immediately wondered what that meant for Maluach who, at the time of writing, is currently on the court for the Blue Devils, who lead Houston 58-45 in the second half.
Per Duke spokespeople, the program has no comment on the situation at this time. https://t.co/Lrz7FMtGMe
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) April 6, 2025
Should Maluach have his visa revoked, it could well make him ineligible to compete for the Blue Devils. Additionally, it could mean that he would be forced to return to his native South Sudan should Rubio follow through with his announced plan.
This is an ongoing situation and we will update it as further information comes available.