Image Source: The New York Times
ICE is facing fierce criticism in New York City after a man was shot in the neck during an immigration enforcement operation in Manhattan’s Marble Hill neighborhood. The incident unfolded Thursday afternoon while the man’s child was reportedly inside his car, leaving residents angry, frightened and demanding answers.
Oscar Belgal, 28, was detained after the shooting near the intersection of 225th Street and Marble Hill Avenue. Residents told the Guardian they heard between five and six gunshots at around 4pm, just as children were returning home from school.
ICE shooting leaves Marble Hill residents shocked and afraid
Orlando Perez, who was in the area when the incident occurred, said Belgal had parked his car nearby. Perez witnessed federal agents detain him after he had apparently been shot in the neck. He said the vehicle appeared to have bullet holes.
“I thought I was going to get shot,” Perez said the following day, describing the confusion and fear that spread through the neighborhood. He added that he did not initially see clear uniforms, identification badges or other equipment showing that the people involved were ICE officers.
Video from the aftermath showed a man wearing a high-visibility construction-style vest and carrying an assault-style rifle. A possible badge appeared to hang from a lanyard. Bystanders could be heard asking whether the people at the scene were ICE agents.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said federal officers did not know a child was inside the vehicle. Perez disputed that explanation, saying the car had only light window tint and that agents should have been able to see the child.
Residents demand accountability after gunfire
The shooting has unsettled a close-knit community that residents described as normally busy but peaceful. Zachary Miller, who has lived in Marble Hill for two decades, said he knew Belgal from the neighborhood and described him as “a nice kid.”
“I don’t see him doing something like this,” Miller said, referring to federal allegations that Belgal had gang connections and prior convictions involving drugs and weapons. Authorities said he was on probation for felony offenses, while the Trump administration has connected him to alleged gang activity.
Carlos Martinez, 18, said he was eating at P & P Gourmet Deli when he heard the gunfire. At first, he thought the shots had come from inside the store.
Martinez, who is from a Dominican family and grew up in the Bronx, said the encounter had made him feel less secure despite being a US citizen. “Over here we are all community, but personally I am uncomfortable,” he said.
Police removed street barricades on Friday, although yellow crime-scene tape remained around the intersection. Residents also said they had seen ICE vehicles and officers stationed at a nearby parking lot serving a Target store, raising concerns that agents had been monitoring the area before the arrest.
Political backlash grows across New York
New York politicians and officials condemned the operation and called for a full investigation. Mayor Zohran Mamdani strongly criticized ICE at a hastily arranged news conference Thursday night, where protesters could be heard chanting nearby. He also called for the agency to be abolished.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Target over claims that the company accommodated ICE activity. Other Democratic leaders demanded an end to aggressive federal immigration enforcement in residential neighborhoods.
Local resident Carlos Rodriguez said he felt “soiled” by the agency’s presence and urged elected leaders to speak out more forcefully. He said agents should not be entering communities or approaching homes without greater transparency and accountability.
What happens next for Oscar Belgal?
At a federal court hearing Friday, Belgal’s attorneys said a bullet was still lodged in his body. A Justice Department prosecutor said he had been booked into the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a facility newly being used to hold immigrants.
Belgal was temporarily taken to a privately run ICE facility in New Jersey after the shooting. Following emergency motions from his lawyers, a federal judge ordered that he remain in the area while his case proceeds.
The incident is likely to intensify debate over immigration raids, the use of firearms during arrests and the treatment of immigrant communities. For Marble Hill residents, the immediate concern is safety and clarity about what happened on a street where children were heading home.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Marble Hill ICE shooting?
Oscar Belgal, 28, was shot in the neck and detained during an enforcement operation near 225th Street and Marble Hill Avenue. His child was reportedly inside the vehicle.
Was the shooting confirmed to involve ICE?
Authorities and witnesses identified the operation as involving federal immigration officers, although residents said some agents were not clearly wearing uniforms or identification.
What condition is Oscar Belgal in?
His attorneys said at a federal hearing that a bullet remained in his body. He was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
How have New York officials responded?
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic officials condemned the operation and called for investigations and changes to federal immigration enforcement.
