A federal agent shot and wounded Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican immigrant, in New York City on Thursday after ICE agents attempted to arrest him while he was in a car with his 5-year-old son. The shooting occurred in the Marble Hill neighborhood on West 225th Street near Broadway, a predominantly Latino area at the edge of Manhattan and the Bronx. Belgal was shot in the neck after at least one ICE agent fired seven rounds; his son was unharmed and placed in the care of a family member.
The incident marked the first ICE shooting in the city since 2020 and drew sharp criticism from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who accused the Trump administration of “terrorizing our city.” On Friday, the Trump administration defended the action, citing Belgal’s criminal record, including a guilty plea to fourth-degree grand larceny and an ongoing investigation for criminal sale of a controlled substance in 2025. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin labeled Belgal a “thug” and said ICE sought his arrest due to suspected knowledge of a July 2025 shooting that injured an off-duty customs officer.
Mullin claimed ICE personnel were unaware a child was in the vehicle. Mayor Mamdani condemned the shooting as “an outrage,” stating a 5-year-old child was left traumatized and that millions of immigrants now fear for their safety. He said he had spoken with President Trump and Mullin to negotiate Belgal’s release, without success.
Hochul also said she urged Trump and Mullin to halt ICE enforcement in New York. Body-worn camera footage released by the NYPD showed officers picking up Belgal from the ground and taking him to New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. A witness reported hearing multiple shots and seeing an SUV crash into concrete barriers.
Belgal emerged from the vehicle holding his neck and shouting in Spanish while his son cried in the back seat. Anti-ICE demonstrators gathered at the scene on Thursday.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing