South Sudanese nationals, including Duke University men’s basketball star Khaman Maluach, are facing potential deportation after the Trump administration introduced a new visa policy this past weekend.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. would revoke all visas held by South Sudanese nationals. This decision follows the refusal of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept U.S. deportees in a “timely manner.”
For Maluach, who just hours earlier saw his team lose a heartbreaking Final Four matchup against the University of Houston, the uncertainty surrounding his future in the U.S. has intensified.
“It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States,” Rubio stated.
Duke University’s vice president of communications, Frank Tramble, acknowledged the situation in a statement, saying that the school was aware of the announcement and was actively working to understand its implications for students.
“We are looking into the situation and working expeditiously to understand any implications for Duke students,” Tramble said.
According to the U.S. State Department’s travel data, 46 nonimmigrant visas were granted to South Sudanese nationals in January. While this figure is smaller compared to other East African nations like Uganda and Tanzania, which saw hundreds of nonimmigrant visas issued in the same month, the new policy, including a halt on issuing further visas, is now in effect. Rubio emphasized that the policy would be revisited once South Sudan demonstrates “full cooperation.”
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