A Nigerian national accused of fatally stabbing a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth football player had overstayed his visa for nearly a decade while receiving deportation deferrals from two presidential administrations, according to federal law enforcement sources.
Chukwunonso David Uzoma-Eze, 19, faces murder charges in connection with the Saturday morning stabbing of two football players near a Providence, Rhode Island nightclub. The attack claimed the life of Marvins Antoine, 18, who died at the hospital following the incident.
Providence police report the stabbing occurred in a Wendy’s parking lot across from Mezzo Lounge after an altercation that began while patrons waited in line outside the establishment. Authorities apprehended Uzoma-Eze, also a student at UMass Dartmouth, on campus following the incident.
The facts surrounding Uzoma-Eze’s immigration status present a troubling timeline. Federal law enforcement sources confirm he entered the United States legally in 2015 on a B-2 tourist visa. However, he remained in the country after that visa expired.
In September 2022, the Biden administration granted Uzoma-Eze’s request for deferred action, effectively delaying his deportation from the United States. The following August, he applied for a work permit, which federal authorities rejected the next month.
Uzoma-Eze submitted a second deferred action application in February 2025, followed by a third request in October 2025. The Trump administration approved this latter application on October 8, 2025. Federal records indicate he also filed another work permit application in February 2025, which remains pending.
Should Uzoma-Eze be convicted of murder, he will lose his protection from deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer with the Bristol County House of Correction. Authorities expected to transfer him to Rhode Island on Friday to face the murder charges.
The case has drawn attention to state immigration policies. When a reporter approached Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey on Friday with questions about the suspect’s immigration status and whether her policies bore any responsibility for the incident, the governor departed without responding. The reporter asked if she would consider working with ICE, but received no answer.
The incident raises questions about the deportation deferral process under both administrations. While deferred action provides temporary relief from removal proceedings, it does not confer legal immigration status. The practice allows individuals to remain in the country and, in some cases, apply for work authorization.
Antoine’s death has shaken the UMass Dartmouth community, where both the victim and the accused were students and members of the football program. The university has not yet issued a comprehensive statement regarding the tragedy or the suspect’s enrollment status.
The case now proceeds through the Rhode Island criminal justice system, where Uzoma-Eze will face murder charges. The legal proceedings will determine his fate in the criminal courts before any immigration consequences take effect.
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