ICE Agent on Scene of NYC Shooting Was Posing as Construction Worker, Eyewitness Says

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot an individual in New York City's Marble Hill neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, according to local police. The incident occurred around 4 p.m., and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where they were conscious, though no further details were provided.

New York Representative Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat, stated that a child was present in the car at the time of the shooting. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported that law enforcement surrounded the victim and his child before opening fire. Mayor Mamdani added that they believed the child was unharmed.

Witness Iris Rosa described the scene, stating that the shooting took place as a local school was dismissing students. She recounted finding the victim on the ground, bleeding, and restrained by the agents. The child in the car was reportedly held by ICE agents until someone else retrieved the child. Rosa also noted that a man in plain clothes and a tactical vest, allegedly posing as a construction worker, seemed to remove his vest before the incident.

Photos, obtained by The Intercept, showed government agents in civilian attire and tactical gear pinning the victim. Another individual, also in a high-visibility vest, was seen holding an assault rifle while holding a phone.

ICE agents are known to disguise themselves as construction workers to surveil their targets. The victim is among at least 25 people shot by federal immigration agents this year. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has called for a transparent account of the incident, emphasizing the dangers posed by ICE's violent tactics. Advocacy group New York Immigration Coalition head Murad Awawdeh echoed these concerns, highlighting the ongoing violence perpetrated by ICE.