New York Man Shot by ICE Officers Appears in Immigration Court

Oscar Belgal, 28, who was shot and wounded by federal immigration officers in New York, made his first appearance before an immigration judge on Thursday. He appeared remotely via video livestream from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where his lawyers state he is being held in solitary confinement.

Belgal, a native of the Dominican Republic, spoke little during the brief court session. His lawyers report that he requires surgery to remove a bullet lodged in the back of his neck, though the injury was not apparent on the video feed. His attorney, Karene Brown of the Legal Aid Society, informed Judge Dara Reid that Belgal has been on 24-hour lockdown without phone access and that a request to move him from solitary confinement has not been honored by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE officers confronted Belgal on Oct. 8 as he was attempting to find a parking spot after picking up his son from school. His 5-year-old son was in the car when an ICE officer reportedly smashed one of the car windows. Belgal's lawyers claim in a court filing that ICE officers, who were in civilian clothes and wearing masks and did not identify themselves, fired several shots into the vehicle as Belgal attempted to drive away.

Department of Homeland Security officials maintain that the officers believed their lives were in danger and only opened fire after Belgal crashed his car into two government vehicles and accelerated toward them. Security camera footage released by the New York City Police Department shows elements of the encounter but does not definitively illustrate how the shooting occurred.

Belgal's next immigration court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29. His legal team has also filed a petition in federal court seeking his release.