A shooting incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York City’s Marble Hill neighborhood Thursday afternoon has prompted sharp exchanges between federal and local officials over the tactics employed during the enforcement operation.
Oscar Belgal, 28, sustained a gunshot wound to the neck when ICE agents opened fire on his vehicle. His 5-year-old child was seated in the back of the car at the time but was not injured. The incident occurred around 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
The New York Police Department released body camera footage Friday from the first officers who arrived at the scene after the shooting had occurred. The video shows pedestrians discussing ICE’s involvement as officers attended to Belgal, who was seated on the ground. An individual in a reflective vest carrying a long gun can be seen in the vicinity. The responding officers called for an ambulance but subsequently decided to transport Belgal themselves, rushing him to a hospital emergency room in their patrol vehicle.
The Department of Homeland Security mounted a vigorous defense of the operation during a Friday morning news conference. Marcos Charles of ICE stated that Belgal failed to comply with lawful orders from federal law enforcement officers.
According to DHS, agents had previously attempted to detain Belgal in September without success. During Thursday’s operation, Charles said Belgal refused to exit his vehicle when ordered. “He then accelerated his vehicle, smashing into two of our government ICE vehicles, and then weaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate going toward other officers,” Charles explained.
The federal agency characterized its personnel as “good men and women that are out there every day enforcing immigration laws.”
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams offered a sharply different characterization of events. “There was nothing that was happening that would make people have to disguise themselves as construction workers, surround a man’s car with his 5-year-old son in it, coming from school at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and shoot him in the neck in the car,” Williams stated.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported that he attempted unsuccessfully to negotiate Belgal’s release with President Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Thursday evening.
Secretary Mullin disclosed that President Trump had offered to release Belgal to NYPD custody if the city wished to pursue charges. “I shared that with the mayor. The mayor once again said we will not be detaining him,” Mullin said. City Hall has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Mullin’s account.
Representative Adriano Espaillat spoke with Belgal’s family and described them as shaken and extremely nervous, though he noted the 5-year-old boy remains in good spirits.
DHS confirmed that Belgal was in the United States illegally and had been the target of a planned enforcement operation. According to the department, Belgal had alleged associations with the Trinitarios gang and possessed a prior criminal conviction for grand larceny along with multiple other prior arrests.
The incident has reignited longstanding tensions between federal immigration enforcement agencies and local officials in sanctuary jurisdictions who limit cooperation with ICE operations.
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