UMass Dartmouth Football Player Murder Suspect Overstayed Tourist Visa, Received Deferred Action
Federal sources report the Nigerian national charged in the fatal stabbing of a college athlete entered the U.S. on a B-2 visa and had deferred action granted under both the Trump and Biden administrations.
A Nigerian national accused of killing a UMass Dartmouth football player entered the United States on a tourist visa and overstayed it, later receiving deferred action from both the Biden and Trump administrations, according to federal law enforcement sources.
Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze faces murder charges in connection with the stabbing death of 19-year-old UMass Dartmouth football player Marvins Antoine during an altercation in Providence, Rhode Island. A second player, Kensley Macean, also 19, sustained stab wounds to his head and neck in the incident.
Sources told Fox News that Eze first entered the U.S. on a B-2 tourist visa in 2015. He received two visa extensions under the Obama administration before remaining in the country after his authorized stay expired.
The Biden administration approved Eze's request for deferred action in September 2022, and he applied again for deferred action in February 2025. A subsequent request was approved by the Trump administration on Oct. 8, 2025, according to the sources. Deferred action is a discretionary measure by the federal government to temporarily delay an individual's removal from the U.S. and does not confer lawful immigration status.
Department of Homeland Security records indicate Eze applied for employment authorization in August 2023, but that request was rejected the following month. He reapplied for employment authorization in February 2025 based on deferred action, and that application remains pending, according to DHS. The department noted that if convicted of murder, Eze would lose his deferred action status.
Providence police reported that the stabbing occurred around 12:30 a.m. on a Saturday outside the Mezzo Lounge, stemming from an altercation involving individuals who had been inside the venue. Antoine died from a stab wound to the chest, while Macean was hospitalized with stab wounds to his head and neck.
Eze was apprehended by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department.
