NYC DSA Candidate: Immigrant Shooting is 'Not Even Mattering' if Suspect is Gang Member

Darializa Avila-Chevalier, a democratic socialist congressional candidate, stated that it is "not even mattering" that an undocumented immigrant wounded by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has a violent criminal record. She also accused the New York Police Department of unjustly portraying the individual as a villain.

Speaking with streamer Hasan Piker, Avila-Chevalier, the Democratic candidate for New York's 13th Congressional District, suggested that Oscar Belgal, the man shot by ICE, was acting in defense of his child when he attempted to flee from federal agents. Belgal, 28, was shot in the neck by plainclothes ICE agents on Thursday in the Bronx. Authorities reported that Belgal, identified as a reputed member of the Trinitarios street gang, tried to drive away as agents approached his SUV while he was picking up his 5-year-old son.

"I was just so angry," Avila-Chevalier said, reacting to the revelation of Belgal's criminal history. "To me, it doesn't even matter."

She further commented on Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch's statements, suggesting that Tisch was vilifying Belgal rather than condemning the actions of ICE or the circumstances of the shooting. "Put yourself in Oscar's shoes," Avila-Chevalier urged. "You have your child in the back seat, you're picking him up from school and all of a sudden you see masked men coming towards your car, banging on it, pull out guns. You're running. I'm sorry, you're protecting your child."

Avila-Chevalier reiterated calls for Belgal's release and reiterated her earlier demand for Commissioner Tisch's resignation. She concluded her remarks to Piker by stating, "F—k ICE and abolish it."

Authorities reported that Belgal illegally entered the U.S. in 2022. His alleged criminal history includes a conviction for armed robbery in 2023 and an arrest in 2025 on charges of selling fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Tenants from Belgal's former apartment building in Washington Heights reportedly told The Post that he had previously terrorized neighbors with a machete, with one resident describing him as "a menace to society."

The incident occurred in the Marble Hill neighborhood and has sparked protests in the Bronx demanding the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from New York City. Both Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, criticized the federal operation, stating that the NYPD was not involved or informed in advance.

Stu Smith, an investigative analyst at the Manhattan Institute, commented on the situation via X, calling it "a fascinating glimpse into DSA-style co-governance in action, revealing both the growing tensions over the [Mayor Zohran] Mamdani administration and the movement's commitment to abolitionism."