Nigerian suspect in UMass Dartmouth football player’s killing had overstayed visa and received deferred action
A Nigerian national charged with the murder of UMass Dartmouth football player Marvins Antoine is alleged to have entered the U.S. on a 2015 tourist visa, remained after it expired and later obtained deferred action under successive administrations.
Federal sources report that Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze, a Nigerian citizen, arrived in the United States on a B-2 tourist visa in 2015 and remained after the visa lapsed, receiving two extensions under the Obama administration. He later secured deferred action in September 2022 during the Biden administration and again in October 2025 under the Trump administration. Eze is charged with murdering 19-year-old football player Marvins Antoine and injuring teammate Kensley Macean during a stabbing at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Mezzo Lounge in Providence, Rhode Island.
Antoine died from a chest wound, while Macean suffered head and neck injuries and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital. The suspect was located and taken into custody by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department. His applications for employment authorization have been denied or remain pending, and a murder conviction would revoke his deferred-action status.
Why it matters
The case highlights how immigration enforcement intersected with a violent crime involving a college athlete.
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