New York protests erupt after ICE shoots Dominican man in the Bronx, sparking Mamdani-Trump administration clash

New York witnessed protests on Friday after an incident where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers shot Oscar Bergal, a 28-year-old Dominican man, in the Bronx. This event has sparked a clash between New York’s Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Trump administration. Bergal sustained a neck injury during the operation, while a five-year-old child in his car remained unharmed.

Mayor Mamdani expressed his disapproval through a tweet, calling for "Abolish ICE." This stance, common among the political left opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, immediately drew criticism from US Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin. He accused Mamdani’s words of being "dangerous and incite hostility," questioning how the city would handle criminals, murderers, and gangbangers without ICE.

Protesters gathered in Manhattan, chanting "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here" and "No ICE." New York, a stronghold of the Democratic Party, is one of several US cities that have barred their police from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Mamdani sought to speak with Trump and demanded the withdrawal of immigration agents from the city following the incident.

The shooting video showed a plainclothes federal agent approaching a silver car with a gun drawn. The agent briefly reversed and fired at the driver as the car moved away, colliding with a passing vehicle. ICE officials stated that Bergal had a criminal history and was attempting to evade arrest. They added that they were unaware of a child in the car when they opened fire.

Mullin claimed Bergal had refused lawful orders to exit his vehicle and had accelerated towards officers. ICE agent Marcos Charles confirmed that Bergal had accelerated his vehicle, smashing into two ICE vehicles before posing a threat to others. ICE agents, often disguised and facing, have been involved in several high-profile shootings this year, including the first known killing of an American by immigration agents in Trump's second term.