In a stunning twist of events, a legal immigrant who feared deportation will not only remain in the United States … but he will also pay multiple millions in taxes over the coming years.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, 18-year-old Khaman Maluach – who has been in the United States on a legal student visa for Duke University – has been drafted by the Phoenix Suns.
And this drafting does not come a moment too soon, given the recent announcement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio via social media.
“I am 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, due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner,” Rubio intoned on X.
Maluach – a South Sudanese national – reportedly feared deportation following Rubio’s announcement, though the NBA quickly intervened to secure his continued legal residency in the United States.
And what a journey it has been for Maluach, given the tremendous odds he has overcome … starting with fleeing as a legitimate refugee from South Sudan to Uganda, where he grew up.
And, eventually, where he was spotted by NBA agents.
“By 14, Maluach had earned a spot in a Senegal-based academy operated by the NBA, whose feeder program eventually placed him on rosters in the NBA’s Basketball Africa League, playing for teams based in South Sudan, Senegal and Uganda. As he improved, the NBA continued to open more doors, from participating in Basketball Without Borders camps, where he won most valuable player, to in front of NBA scouts at the league’s annual minor-league showcase and later at a showcase during its All-Star weekend last year,” NBC News detailed.
In other words, Maluach put forth serious effort into becoming the best possible athlete he could be, in order to achieve the recognition that warranted his place on an elite university’s basketball team.
While Maluach has never been illegally present in the nation, his South Sudanese nationality rendered his visa status uncertain, following Rubio’s announcement.
However, one visa in particular appears to be especially promising, even for South Sudanese nationals: the P-1 visa.
The P-1 visa, which is designated for professional athletes, is clearly one based upon significant merit, especially when accounting for the intensive competition for professional spots within the United States itself.
And the NBA has all but assured Maluach that he would receive the P-1 visa, as evidenced by commentary from Troy Justice.
Justice, who serves as the NBA’s senior vice president and head of international basketball, noted that the sports league’s relationship with Maluach began years ago and would continue in the years to come.
“We’ve been on this journey … with Khaman since age 14, and we’re going to continue on this journey with him through the rest of his career, and we’ll continue on this journey with him post his career. These are lifelong commitments that we make to all of our international players,” Justice proclaimed.
The Daily Mail noted that Maluach “stands to sign a four-year deal with the franchise worth $27.4million.”
That means Maluach will be paying substantial local, state, and federal income taxes, amongst others … sharply distinguishing himself from many others.
These taxes are especially substantial when accounting for the “jock tax,” a lesser-known tax scheme designed for various tax-dependent states (cough, California, cough) to extract more “revenue” from extraordinary businesspeople, athletes, and other high-profile individuals.
According to an article from Kiplinger, the jock tax may be defined as “an income tax levied on athletes and other people associated with sports teams earning money outside their home states.”
“The jock tax can be substantial – for example, a player earning $10 million and spending half the season in California could owe over $665,000 in state taxes to California alone,” Kiplinger added.
What a surprise! California never misses an opportunity to nickel and dime everyone … yet the state still seems to end up supremely broke.
However, despite that gargantuan amount, Kiplinger notes that the tax liability in California “represents only a portion of total tax liabilities.”
Without a doubt.
One thing is for certain: Through drafting Maluach, the NBA illustrated precisely how an immigrant can arrive – and stay – in the United States legally.
Thereby setting a much more merit-based approach … a major foundation upon which this nation was built.
Author: Jane Jones
