Duke University basketball star Khaman Maluach could be deported after Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled the visas of all South Sudanese passport holders residing in the U.S., The New York Times reported Sunday.
Rubio said the measure was effective immediately “due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.”
Maluach, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and his teammates endured a crushing defeat to Houston in a national semifinal of March Madness on Saturday. The Blue Devils were outscored 9-0 in the last 33 seconds of their 70-67 loss.
Maluach had 6 points and no rebounds in 21 minutes against Houston. But his 7-foot-2 height and improvement during his freshman season at Duke bumped his potential draft position to as high as the top 10, according to some outlets.
He previously trained at the NBA Academy Africa and played sparingly for South Sudan at the Paris Olympics.
A Duke spokesperson told the New York Post the university is “looking into” the deportation edict and “working expeditiously to understand the implications for Duke students.”
Duke’s semester ends in May.
South Sudan has been experiencing a surge in violence between government troops and opposition forces, The Associated Press reported.
Rubio announced the measure just hours before Duke took the court for its Final Four matchup.
“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,” Rubio wrote, “due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.”
