Nigerian national charged with murder overstayed tourist visa, received deferred action

<p>Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze, a Nigerian national, is charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of UMass Dartmouth football player Marvins Antoine, 19, during an altercation in Providence, Rhode Island, over the weekend. Eze entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2015 and overstayed it before receiving deferred action under both the Biden and Trump administrations, according to multiple federal law enforcement sources.</p><p>A second player, Kensley Macean, 19, suffered stab wounds to his head and neck and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, according to the Providence Police Department.</p><p>Sources indicated that Eze first entered the U.S. on a B-2 tourist visa in 2015 and received two extensions under the Obama administration. He remained in the country after his authorized stay expired. The Biden administration approved Eze's request for deferred action in September 2022. He applied for deferred action again in February 2025 and October 2025, with the latter request approved under the Trump administration on October 8, 2025.</p><p>Deferred action is a discretionary decision by the federal government to temporarily delay an individual's removal from the United States but does not provide lawful immigration status.</p><p>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Eze applied for employment authorization in August 2023, but the request was rejected the following month. He applied again for employment authorization in February 2025 based on deferred action, and that application remains pending.</p><p>If convicted of murder, Eze will lose his deferred action, according to DHS. The stabbing incident occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Saturday in the parking lot outside Mezzo Lounge, stemming from an altercation involving individuals who had been inside the lounge prior to the incident. Antoine was killed after a stab to the chest, while Macean suffered stab wounds to his head and neck. Eze was later located and taken into custody by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department.</p>