Two Jamaican men convicted of kidnapping and homicide are being held by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. ICE reported that Jamaican nationals Nascimento Blair and Nevel Larey Heslop are awaiting deportation.
According to reports, Blair arrived in the U.S. on March 4, 2004, under a temporary visa. However, his conduct violated the rules associated with his permitted stay, as he became a suspect in a crime.
The 44-year-old was arrested in New York by the Mount Vernon Police Department and charged with first-degree kidnapping on October 12, 2005, according to the report. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
ICE reported that Blair was ordered to be removed from the US by an immigration judge on August 4, 2008. Blair filed an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. However, the board upheld the original ruling on November 6, 2008, per the report.
The New York State Department of Corrections released him on parole on April 9, 2020, and detained him on July 16, 2024.
Meanwhile, Heslop, a 67-year-old Jamaican native, gained legal permanent residency in the United States on August 18, 1984, according to ICE. On November 1, 1991, he was convicted of homicide in New Jersey. At his sentencing, he was given 30 years.
On June 14, 1996, a judge overseeing immigration matters ordered Heslop to leave the U.S. His attempt to overturn the decision by appealing to the Board of Immigration Appeals was unsuccessful. The board rejected his appeal on April 23, 1997, according to ICE.
Upon his release from local custody on April 23, 2021, Heslop was immediately taken into federal custody.
According to a statement from ICE, Jamaica would not issue travel papers during his attempt to revive his appeal, prompting immigration authorities to release Heslop under supervision. That period ended when New York City police apprehended him on February 4, 2025.