Secretary of State Marco Rubio is under pressure to reverse his order on South Sudanese visas.
Two North Carolina Democratic congressmembers wrote to Rubio, saying South Sudanese visa holders are not foreign enemies, but members of the community.
The call from state lawmakers came as the Duke Blue Devils entered the final four of the NCAA tournament.
Their freshman center Khaman Maluach holds a South Sudanese visa and could be subject to deportation under Rubio’s order.
RELATED STORY | State Department spokesman speaks on Trump tariffs, NATO relations, deportations
Rubio announced over the weekend that the U.S. would revoke visas for South Sudanese passport holders because the country’s government did not accept citizens deported from the U.S.
North Carolina has a large South Sudanese community, including the “Lost Boys of Sudan” who were driven from their homes during a civil war in the 1980s.
