The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has criticized the New York Times for its coverage of a Jamaican man convicted of murder and deported by the Trump administration last July. The article featured a headline stating, “The man who served his time among us is deported to an African prison,” and opened with a reference to a shooting that occurred in Brooklyn nearly three decades ago.
DHS stated, “It’s dishonorable and disgusting,” expressing frustration over what they labeled as the Times’ biased portrayal of a convicted murderer. They emphasized that Orville Etrea had a serious criminal history, including murder, armed robbery, and possession of illegal weapons. According to them, the New York Times seems to prioritize the interests of convicted criminals over those of American citizens.
Etrea was sentenced to 25 years in prison and deported in 2009. While incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, he graduated in 2018 from Mercy College’s Hudson Link program. After his release in 2021, the Biden administration allowed him to remain in the U.S., despite a standing deportation order.
This past summer, the Trump administration directed Etrea to be deported to Eswatini, a small country in southern Africa where he is not a citizen. In July, DHS announced the deportation of several individuals from various countries, including five deportees from Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin spoke at the time, noting that “a safe third-country deportation flight to Eswatini has landed,” describing the deportees as “monsters terrorizing the American community.”
While DHS asserts that countries like Jamaica are declining to accept individuals like Etrea, Jamaican officials have disputed this claim. Ultimately, Etrea, along with four others, remains in Africa following his deportation.
