Harry Styles Calls for Dignity, Justice Following ICE Shooting
The pop star urged concertgoers to show compassion after federal agents shot an immigrant during an arrest attempt in New York City.
Harry Styles paused his concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday to address the shooting of a Dominican immigrant by federal immigration agents, urging fans to show compassion toward people from different backgrounds and calling for "dignity" and "justice."
The British pop star's remarks came after Oscar Belgal, 28, was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Thursday. Belgal's 5-year-old son was reportedly in the back seat of the car during the incident.
"I just want us to take a moment to think about Oscar Belgal tonight, and I want us to think and remember to just look after each other," Styles said. "So, please, continue looking after each other. And remember, your friends, the people you love, the people who don't look like you and aren't born where you're from, they deserve respect, and love, and dignity and justice."
Styles' comments have drawn criticism from some commentators, including film critic Christian Toto, who suggested that speaking out against ICE has become a way for celebrities to gain favor within the entertainment industry. "This is the new black square on Instagram — speaking out on ICE gets you respect within your artistic community and endless positive press," Toto told Fox News Digital.
Belgal was shot after he allegedly refused to comply with officers conducting a targeted arrest operation. Federal officials stated that Belgal accelerated his vehicle toward agents, prompting them to open fire. Officials confirmed that agents were unaware of the child's presence in the vehicle; the child was unharmed.
The shooting has prompted protests and condemnation from New York officials. Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed strong criticism, stating, "We know that ICE is rotten to its core. Today's shooting is only further devastating confirmation of what we have long known."
A senior ICE official, Marcos Charles, defended the officers' actions, asserting that they believed their lives and the lives of their partners and the public were in danger. "Our officers, using their training and believing that their life and the life of the partners and the general public were in danger, used their training and fired weapons," Charles said.
The Department of Homeland Security has reported that Belgal has a prior grand larceny conviction and previous arrests for assault, robbery, drug possession, and weapons possession. Federal officials have also alleged ties to the Trinitarios street gang.
On Friday, a federal judge temporarily blocked Belgal's deportation while his legal challenge to detention proceeds. The New York Police Department released body camera footage showing the aftermath of the shooting.