Khaman Maluach, Duke basketball center from South Sudan could be impacted by State Department ruling

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke men's basketball player Khaman Maluach is among those who could be impacted by the State Department's ruling around South Sudanese passport holders in the US.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a post on X that he would be "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 added that this decision was due to "the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner."

Maluach has just completed his freshman season at Duke following the Blue Devils' dramatic defeat to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four on Saturday. The 7-foot, 2-inch center played more than 800 minutes for Duke this season, averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

"We will provide further information and instructions to affected visa holders and applicants as it is available," a State Department spokesperson told CNN on Monday.

In a statement to ABC11, Frank Tramble, the vice president of communications, marketing and public affairs at Duke, said: "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."

SEE ALSO | Student visas being revoked for several college students across US, including all South Sudanese passport holders

Born in the town of Rumbek, Maluach and his family fled to neighboring Uganda when the center was a boy due to conflict in South Sudan. He represented his country at the Paris Olympics last year - the first time that a basketball team from South Sudan has appeared at the Games.

He was part of the NBA Academy Africa before committing to Duke in March last year. Maluach is projected by many analysts to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft later this year.

"Basketball means a big thing to me. I believe it's a gift God gave me to impact other people's lives and to change my family's life," he told BBC Sport Africa in 2024. "The orange ball has taken me so far."