April 6 (UPI) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has canceled visas for people from South Sudan because the country has refused to accept the return of its immigrants deported from the United States.
Rubio said in a statement Saturday that the transitional government of South Sudan has been “taking advantage” of the United States, while stating that the country’s immigration laws are “critically important” to national security and public safety.
“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them,” Rubio said.
“As South Sudan’s transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle, effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders.”
Rubio said the United States would be willing to review its South Sudan visa policy if the country were to start cooperating with the Trump administration.
South Sudan gained its independence in 2011 after a decades-long civil war fought between 1982 and 2005, when a comprehensive peace agreement was reached that granted the region of South Sudan semi-autonomous status until it reached a referendum for independence in 2011.
Citizens of South Sudan were first granted Temporary Protected Status in the United States in 2011. Rival factions then fought a civil war in South Sudan from 2013 until 2018 when both sides agreed to the formation of a transition government to lead the country.
Amid South Sudan’s internal turmoil, the United States has continuously reviewed its protected status policy for South Sudanese, most recently with an extension of the program in 2023 that is set to expire in May.
Rubio’s ruling is expected to impact the future of Khaman Maluach, the starting center for Duke University’s basketball team — the favorite to win the national chamionship in the NCAA Tournament before the team was knocked out with Saturday’s loss to the University of Houston.
Duke spokesman Frank Tramble told the New York Post that the school is “looking into the situation and working expeditiously to understand the implications for Duke students.”
