New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for an end to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city after a federal agent shot a 28-year-old Dominican man during an attempted arrest in Marble Hill, New York.
The shooting occurred on Thursday, October 8, and sparked protests near the scene and at a hospital where the injured man received treatment. Demonstrators confronted law enforcement officers, with some clashes reported during the protests.
The man, identified by New York police as Oscar Belgal, was shot in the neck while inside a car. A five-year-old child, believed to be his son, was also in the vehicle but was not injured, according to police officials.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said ICE agents were carrying out a targeted operation to arrest Belgal, whom it described as an undocumented migrant with a criminal conviction and alleged links to the Trinitarios gang. The department said an agent discharged a firearm during the operation and that officers provided immediate medical assistance.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at least seven shots were fired by an ICE agent. According to her account, surveillance cameras captured part of the events leading up to the shooting but did not record the gunfire itself. The footage showed Belgal in the driver’s seat as a plainclothes federal officer approached with a gun drawn. The vehicle then began moving forward and out of the camera’s view.
The New York Police Department said it was not involved in the federal operation before the shooting. Officers responding to reports of gunfire later found Belgal handcuffed at the scene and helped transport him to hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Mamdani said he spent around two hours speaking with President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in an unsuccessful attempt to secure Belgal’s release. The mayor said federal agents later removed the injured man from the hospital in an unmarked vehicle and took him into federal custody.
At a news conference near the scene, Mamdani condemned the operation and renewed his call for ICE to leave New York City. He argued that the agency’s enforcement practices undermined public safety and criticised the use of gunfire in a vehicle carrying a young child.
The shooting prompted demonstrations by people opposed to ICE operations. Protesters gathered near the incident site and the hospital, while police officers were deployed to manage the crowds. Reports described confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.
The incident has intensified tensions between New York City officials and the federal government over immigration enforcement. Mamdani has repeatedly opposed ICE operations in the city, while the Trump administration has defended its efforts to arrest and deport migrants who are in the country unlawfully.
Authorities have cited Belgal’s criminal history and alleged gang connections as reasons for the attempted arrest. However, the circumstances that led the agent to fire remain central to questions about the operation. The New York Police Department’s cameras did not capture the shooting itself, and the available accounts do not provide a complete visual record of the encounter.
The case has renewed calls from local officials for a clear explanation of what happened during the operation and why force was used. The investigation is ongoing.