New Yorker magazine ripped for peddling sob story about illegal migrant convicted of murder
A feature in the New Yorker has sparked a sharp backlash for how it framed the story of Orville Etoria, a Jamaican‑born migrant who was deported by the Trump administration under the “third‑country” program. The 62‑year‑old was sent back to Africa in September after serving a 25‑year sentence for murder, the same conviction that landed him in prison in 1996 for a shooting in a leather shop.
The article leaned heavily on Etoria’s emotional reaction to the deportation; a teaser on X caught him crying about being taken “to another land… in shackles and chains,” a line that many readers felt glossed over his violent past. A Twitter user immediately pointed out, “I see you conveniently forgot to mention here that he was not a US citizen and had spent 25 years in prison for murder,” calling the omission “disgraceful and disgusting.”
Others added context that was absent from the piece: “Orville Etoria has multiple serious felonies, including armed robbery and murder. He held a US lawful permanent resident status, which can and was revoked following his criminal convictions.” The man had also been arrested for weapons possession, armed robbery and forcible theft with a deadly weapon, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The coverage drew heat from those who felt the magazine treated Etoria too sympathetically. One relative was quoted in the story saying, “Orville isn’t a monster,” prompting a flurry of complaints. An X user snapped, “Murder. He literally murdered someone,” while another posted, “He was here 50 years, 25 of them in prison for murder. Nice guy! He has been such a bonus to our society.”
The New Yorker’s response came only after the New York Times had already faced criticism for its own sympathetic angle on Etoria. DHS rebuked the Times, describing the coverage as “disgraceful and disgusting.” In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said: “If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, you could end up in CECOT, Eswatini, South Sudan, or another third country. President Trump and Secretary Noem are using every tool available to get criminal illegal aliens out of American communities and out of our country. Our message is clear: Criminals are not welcome in the United States.”
The same spokesperson also asked, “Why does the New York Times continue to peddle sob stories of criminal illegal aliens? When will they finally shed light on their victims? Every single day President Trump and Secretary Noem fight for justice for American victims of illegal alien crime and nearly every single day the media ignores these victims and their families.”
The Post reached out to DHS for comments on the New Yorker’s article but has yet to receive a reply.
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