(NewsNation) — The future of Duke University basketball star Khaman Maluach is uncertain after the Trump administration moved to revoke the visas of all South Sudanese passport holders in the country.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X that the U.S. would be making the move “due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.”
Maluach, a freshman center for Duke’s men’s basketball team, has been poised to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft happening in June.
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Renata Castro, an immigration attorney, joined “NewsNation Now” to discuss the U.S. decision to revoke visas. Castro said Maluach’s case could shed light on issues in the U.S. immigration system and could get him some help with staying in the country.
“I have a feeling that Duke University and the NBA are going to flex a lot of their legal muscle when it comes to fighting for Maluach to stay here,” Castro said. “Hopefully, this will result in a much broader, positive diplomatic resolution for other citizens of South Sudan in the United States.”
Tensions in South Sudan have been growing and could lead to another civil war. A 2018 peace deal between rival factions backing President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar ended a war that started in 2013, but the deal was never fully implemented.
Duke University has spoken out, saying it is aware of the Trump order and is working “expeditiously to understand any implications for Duke students.”
