After ICE Shooting, Progressives Want New York’s Police Commissioner to Step Down

On Thursday, an ICE agent opened fire in Marble Hill, New York, shooting a 28-year-old man named Oscar Belgal in his car, while his five-year-old child sat in the backseat. Belgal was shot at least seven times, and remains in the MDC Brooklyn federal detention facility with a bullet lodged in his body. The incident has sparked outrage among New Yorkers, with many protesting and clashing with the NYPD.

Despite the fact that the NYPD was not involved in the shooting, they were involved in arresting protesters and protecting ICE vehicles, despite local laws and policies that prohibit such collaboration.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who called for the abolition of ICE shortly after the shooting, has been criticized for his police commissioner Jessica Tisch's actions. Tisch, a holdover from the previous administration, has been accused of coordinating with ICE agents and protecting them, while going after protesters. Allies of Mamdani are now calling for Tisch to step down if ICE does not leave New York City.

Democratic Socialist allies of Mamdani have also called for Tisch to stop NYPD officers from working with ICE, either formally or informally. They also demand that Tisch step down if she cannot put a stop to these injustices. ICE has defended the shooting, arguing that Belgal "weaponized his vehicle" and was shot because of it. However, the police commissioner's statement contradicts this, saying that NYPD officers transported Belgal to the hospital, not ICE agents.

The Democratic Socialists of America, which propelled Mamdani to victory, have called for ICE to be expelled from New York City and abolished. They have also demanded that Tisch put an end to any complicity with ICE. Several state officials, including Congressional candidate Darializa Chevalier, have also called for Tisch's resignation.