Mamdani says "this city wants ICE out" after agent shoots man with 5-year-old in car

A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a man in his vehicle in the Bronx district of New York City while the man's five-year-old child remained in the backseat. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, confirmed that an officer discharged his weapon while attempting to apprehend an alleged "criminal illegal alien" on Thursday.

The victim, later identified as 28-year-old Oscar Belgal, was still alive and in a nearby hospital, officials reported. Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City stated that the ICE officer "fired multiple rounds" into the car with a child present, describing the incident as "unconscionable and incredibly serious". The BBC has sought comment from DHS regarding Mayor Mamdani's remarks.

On Thursday night, New York Governor Kathy Hochul informed President Donald Trump about the shooting, expressing "outrage on behalf of New Yorkers." Hochul also requested that any body camera footage of the incident be released to the public to ascertain the facts and truth. DHS stated that Belgal was from the Dominican Republic and had a prior conviction for grand larceny, as well as multiple arrests for assault, robbery, drug possession, and weapons possession.

He was initially arrested by police in New York in December 2023 and released a few days later. The DHS also claimed Belgal was associated with the Trinitarios, a transnational criminal organization identified by the US justice department. Mayor Mamdani vowed to ask Trump to cease ICE enforcement actions in the city, posting on X that he "will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities."

Protests erupted at the scene on Thursday evening, with demonstrators chanting "we want justice" and "ICE off our streets now." New York, a Democratic stronghold, is among several US cities that prohibit its police officers from assisting federal immigration enforcement. Concurrently, a series of high-profile shootings involving ICE officers have occurred this year, including the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis in January.