The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) minced no words when criticizing a recent New York Times story about the deportation of a convicted Jamaican murderer by the Trump administration in July. The New York Times headline omitted the crime of murder and instead simply read “Man Who’d Served His Time in U.S. Is Deported to an African Prison”.
The article focuses on Orville Etoria’s accomplishments in prison after his conviction for fatally shooting a man in the head in Brooklyn in 1996, and not the horrific act of murder that resulted in his incarceration. Etoria, sentenced to 25 years to life for the crime, was a legal permanent resident alien when he committed the murder. As is common under U.S. immigration law for legal residents facing conviction for an aggravated felony, Etoria was ordered removed from the United States by an Obama-era immigration judge in 2009 while serving his sentence.
In 2021, Etoria was released after serving more than 25 years in prison. Rather than executing the existing removal order upon his release, Etoria was allowed to remain in the country by the Biden administration’s immigration officials, provided he completes annual reporting requirements, according to the New York Times report.
Rather than focusing any portion of the news report on the harm and loss suffered by Etoria’s victim and family, the report highlights the Jamaican illegal alien’s completion of a bachelor’s degree while incarcerated and his employment at a men’s shelter while pursuing a master’s degree in divinity.
A social media post by Secretary Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security on Monday described the story as the “peddling of another disgusting sob story” by the “failing @NYTimes.” The post goes on to describe DHS’s displeasure with the article, saying, “It is absolutely revolting that the New York Times is actively defending convicted murderers over American citizens. DHS will continue enforcing the law at full speed-without apology.”
The article is critical of the deportation of Jamaican convicted murderer Etoria to Africa where he is not a citizen even though Etoria’s home country would not accept him. The failure of Jamaica to accept their own citizen’s return did not delay his removal by the Trump administration albeit, not to Jamaica.
In July, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin highlighted the removal of Etoria in an X post (formerly Twitter) saying, “NEW: a safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed-This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back. These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American Communities but thanks to @POTUS Trump, @SecNoem, they are off American Soil.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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