The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Trump administration has recently criticized The New York Times for its portrayal of a deported criminal illegal immigrant.
The DHS accused the renowned newspaper of deliberately overlooking the man's criminal past and a 2008 removal order, suggesting that the Times was promoting an anti-immigration enforcement narrative.
According to The Post Millennial, the individual in question is Nascimento Blair, a 44-year-old Jamaican national. Blair was apprehended by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York in February and subsequently deported to his home country.
He had been living illegally in the U.S. after overstaying a temporary visa, following his release from prison in 2020. Blair had previously served 15 years in prison for kidnapping a neighbor whom he accused of stealing marijuana from him. His removal had been ordered by a judge in 2008.
The New York Times published an article about Blair, framing him as a casualty of President Trump's extensive deportation operations. The piece, penned by Luis Ferre-Sadurni, suggested that Blair was in the process of rebuilding his life and seeking redemption when he was abruptly apprehended by ICE and deported to a foreign land.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, expressed her disapproval of the Times' portrayal of Blair. She accused the newspaper of conveniently glossing over Blair's criminal history. "The New York Times conveniently glossed over that this illegal alien, Nascimento Blair is a convicted kidnapper and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 2008, he was issued a final order of removal. Because of the Biden administration's open border policies, this criminal illegal alien was released onto the streets of New York," McLaughlin wrote in a post.
In a statement to the New York Post, McLaughlin questioned the Times' narrative. "Why does the New York Times continue to peddle sob stories about criminal illegal aliens and ignore their victims?" She asserted that the Trump administration is committed to "arresting and deporting the worst of the worst," including "convicted kidnappers." Blair, who had pleaded not guilty to seven felony counts of kidnapping and weapons charges in 2005, was found guilty of first-degree kidnapping after a five-day jury deliberation. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Blair, along with two accomplices, was arrested for kidnapping a neighbor. The victim, a teenager at the time, was held captive in an apartment, and his father was demanded to pay a ransom of $5,000. The police managed to rescue the victim and found two handguns and two pounds of marijuana in the apartment. Blair admitted to the Times that he had been dealing marijuana as a "side hustle," and claimed that the victim had stolen drugs from him, leading to the retaliation.
Despite his conviction, Blair insisted to the Times that he never held the victim against his will. "Somebody took something from me, and I wanted to get it back," he said. The Times article also highlighted Blair's efforts to turn his life around since his release from prison, including earning two college degrees, obtaining a work permit, starting a trucking company, and caring for his fiance who is battling breast cancer.
Blair's apprehension by federal authorities occurred during his immigration check-in at the ICE office in downtown Manhattan. This incident underscores the ongoing debate surrounding immigration policies and their enforcement, particularly in relation to individuals with criminal histories.
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