NYC mayor asks Trump to free migrant shot by ICE and remove agents
Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City on October 9, 2026 asked President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to release Oscar Belgal, a Dominican national who was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a targeted enforcement operation in the Marble Hill neighborhood.
Mamdani said he spent two hours on the phone negotiating the release, but the discussions ended without an agreement. He also demanded that ICE agents leave the scene and cease all enforcement actions in the city.
The incident occurred at about 4 p.m. when ICE agents surrounded Belgal’s vehicle, fired multiple rounds through the windshield, and struck him in the neck below his left ear. A five‑year‑old child seated in the back remained unharmed. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that at least one officer discharged a weapon seven times.
Belgal, 28, was taken to NewYork‑Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where he is in stable condition. He has a criminal record that includes a 2023 grand‑larceny robbery conviction and an August 2025 arrest for allegedly selling fentanyl, cocaine and heroin.
Following the shooting, protesters gathered outside the hospital, demanding accountability. Mamdani described ICE’s actions as “rotten to its core” and likened the agency’s conduct to that of a terrorist organization, saying the city is “still dealing with having been terrorized by a rogue federal agency.”
He announced that the city will launch an investigation into the ICE shooting, the NYPD’s response, and the use of a Target parking lot as a staging area. The mayor also criticized ICE for operating without a warrant and highlighted that 70 percent of migrants detained by ICE lack criminal records, noting the agency’s impact on families.
Mayor Mamdani said talks with the White House will continue, emphasizing that New Yorkers want the end of ICE activities in the city and that public safety depends on removing federal agents from local streets.
