# ICE shooting of man with child in New York car sparks protests
A federal immigration officer shot and wounded a 28-year-old Dominican man in New York City while a five-year-old child was inside his car, prompting protests and calls from city and state officials for federal immigration operations in the city to stop.
The shooting happened on Thursday in the Marble Hill neighbourhood during what the Department of Homeland Security described as a targeted enforcement operation. Federal officials identified the man as Oscar Belgal and said officers were seeking to arrest him over a criminal conviction. DHS said an officer fired a weapon, Belgal was injured and the incident remained under investigation.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch gave a more detailed preliminary account. She said Belgal was pulling into a parking space when a plain-clothes federal officer approached with a gun drawn, followed by a second officer who was also not in uniform. Belgal began moving the vehicle forward, after which at least one officer fired seven rounds. Tisch said he was struck below his left ear.
The New York Police Department said Belgal remained conscious and was receiving treatment at a nearby hospital. The child was not physically injured and was placed with a relative, according to officials cited in the supplied report. Those accounts describe an active investigation, and the evidence packet does not contain body-camera footage or a final determination about the officers' use of force.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the episode extremely serious and said initial information indicated federal agents had surrounded the car before shots were fired. He said he contacted President Donald Trump and would demand an end to ICE enforcement actions in New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul said she spoke with Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, pressed for immigration operations to be halted and requested the release of any body-camera video.
Demonstrators gathered after the shooting, arguing that it reflected the dangers of the administration's immigration crackdown. Scuffles with police occurred during the protest, according to the report. City Council member Carmen De La Rosa, who represents the area, joined officials condemning the shooting.
The incident adds to political scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement, but essential facts are still being established. DHS and local officials agree that an ICE officer fired and that Belgal was wounded while the child escaped physical injury. Their public statements differ in emphasis, with federal authorities focusing on the enforcement target and New York leaders focusing on the circumstances and public safety. The investigation and any video evidence will be central to determining the complete sequence of events.
