DHS Accuses New York Times of Peddling 'Sob Story' After Profile of Deported Convicted Killer
Department of Homeland Security lashes out at newspaper coverage of Orville Etoria and vows continued enforcement
The Department of Homeland Security on Monday sharply criticized a New York Times profile of a convicted killer deported by the Trump administration, calling the reporting a "disgusting sob story" and pledging to continue enforcing immigration laws "without apology."
The Times ran a headline for the profile that read, "The Man Who’d Served His Time In U.S. Is Deported to an African Prison," and opened by describing how Orville Etoria had shot and killed a man in Brooklyn nearly 30 years ago. In a post on X, DHS called the piece "DISGRACEFUL AND DISGUSTING! The failing @NYTimes is peddling another disgusting sob story for a criminal illegal alien. Orville Etoria was convicted of MURDER. It is absolutely revolting that the New York Times is actively defending convicted murderers over American citizens. DHS will continue enforcing the law at full speed—without apology."
The profile recounts a case that dates to the mid-1990s: Etoria was convicted in 1996 of fatally shooting a man in Brooklyn, sentenced to 25 years to life and later ordered deported in 2009. The Times reported that his removal was carried out under the Trump administration in July.
The DHS criticism underscored tensions between federal immigration authorities and sections of the press over how stories involving noncitizens with criminal convictions are framed. The department is led by Secretary Kristi Noem, and the X post framed the Times coverage as prioritizing the subject's treatment over the interests of U.S. citizens and public safety.
Advocates and media outlets often clash over whether profiles that describe detained or deported individuals' lives and conditions amount to sympathy for people who have committed crimes, or necessary context about immigration enforcement and its human consequences. DHS's message reiterated the agency's position that enforcement actions against noncitizens with criminal convictions are a core responsibility and indicated officials regard pushback from news organizations as politically motivated criticism.
The Times' headline and opening paragraph, as cited by DHS, prompted the department's forceful public reply, which used all-caps language and unusually combative phrasing for an official agency post. The exchange comes amid ongoing national debate about border policy, deportations and how news organizations cover criminal cases involving immigrants.
The Times article described Etoria's conviction and subsequent removal in narrative detail. DHS's statement did not dispute the underlying facts of the crime but condemned the piece's tone and argued the newspaper downplayed the severity of the offense. DHS said it would "continue enforcing the law at full speed—without apology," reiterating the agency's enforcement priorities.
The public dispute between DHS and the New York Times reflects broader political fault lines over immigration enforcement, media coverage and accountability. Federal agencies and news organizations frequently spar over portrayals of enforcement decisions, and this episode is the latest high-profile example of that friction.