New York Mayor Demands Trump End ICE Operations After Bronx Shooting

New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani has demanded that President Donald Trump cease all Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city following a shooting incident on Thursday evening. The mayor stated his intention to communicate this demand directly to the President.

New York police reported that around 4 p.m., federal agents were involved in a shooting that injured a man in the city's Marble Hill neighborhood. The victim was conscious and receiving medical attention at a local hospital. The incident occurred during what authorities described as a "targeted enforcement operation" by ICE agents to take a man, identified as 28-year-old Oscar Belgal, into custody. Belgal was reportedly in a gray vehicle with a 5-year-old boy, believed to be his son.

According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, preliminary information indicated that an ICE agent fired seven rounds, striking Belgal in the neck. ICE agents provided aid to the injured man before New York police arrived, took custody of Belgal, and transported him to New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition. The child was unharmed and is in the care of a family member.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that an ICE officer discharged his weapon, injuring the target of the operation, and that the incident is under investigation. DHS also criticized New York's "sanctuary politicians" for limiting cooperation with federal agents, stating that such policies force officers to conduct arrests in "unpredictable and dangerous environments."

Mayor Mamdani, a vocal critic of ICE, has previously argued that the agency "undermines public safety." The shooting has heightened tensions between city and federal immigration enforcement, testing the relationship between Mamdani and President Trump, despite their past cordial interactions.

Governor Kathy Hochul also released a statement condemning the shooting and stated she had spoken with President Trump and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "New Yorkers have witnessed far too many acts of violence by a rogue federal agency and untrained agents that operate with impunity," Hochul said, calling for immediate answers from federal authorities.

According to DHS, Belgal is an undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic with a prior conviction for grand larceny and multiple arrests for assault, robbery, drug possession, and weapons possession. The department alleged he had ties to the Trinitarios gang and that he was arrested in December 2023 but released due to "reckless Democrat sanctuary policies."

This incident is the latest in a series of confrontations involving federal immigration agents. Reports indicate that over 20 people have been shot by federal immigration agents, with at least six fatalities, including three U.S. citizens, in recent years. New York City has been a significant location for ICE activity, accounting for nearly half of all ICE arrests in New York state during the Trump administration.

Several New York lawmakers expressed outrage over the incident, particularly the presence of a child in the vehicle. Representative Ritchie Torres called the shooting "abhorrent and indefensible," while Representative Adriano Espaillat noted that ICE had denied him and the victim's family access to the victim. Senator Chuck Schumer called the shooting "deeply disturbing" and urged DHS to release body camera footage and ensure independent investigations.

Mamdani, in a press conference, questioned the justification for federal officers firing multiple rounds into a car containing a child. "There is no explanation for federal officers firing this many rounds into a car that has a 5-year-old," he stated.