DHS defends ICE shooting in NYC, says officers believed they were in danger

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkUS Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin (centre) speaks during a press conference at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Washington, DC, October 9, 2026 [Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 9 Oct 20269 Oct 2026The United States Department of Homeland Security has defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) shooting of a man in New York City while his child was present. Federal officials used the incident to criticise sanctuary-city policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.New York officials have condemned the shooting and have called for ICE to end its operations in the city.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3ICE shooting of New York man in car with five-year-old sparks protestslist 2 of 3NYC Mayor Mamdani reaches record DoorDash settlement for underpaid workerslist 3 of 3NYC’s AI ban through grade 8 sets stage for rest of US, experts sayend of listThe shooting took place on Thursday afternoon when ICE officers attempted to arrest a man identified by New York City police as Oscar Belgal.Homeland Security officials gave their account of the incident on Friday during a news conference, saying that Belgal refused to exit his car when approached by officers and then accelerated, striking two ICE vehicles.They said officers then opened fire, grazing Belgal’s neck while his five-year-old child was in the back seat.According to Homeland Security officials, Belgal received first aid and was taken to hospital before being transferred to a secure detention facility outside New York state. They did not disclose where Belgal is being held.Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that the agents did not know the child was inside the vehicle when they fired.ICE senior official Marcos Charles said agents had attempted to arrest Belgal as part of an investigation into suspected gang involvement in an earlier shooting of a US Customs and Border Protection officer.According to US officials, Belgal is an undocumented migrant from the Dominican Republic who had previously evaded arrest and received a five-year sentence for grand larceny in April 2025.“[Belgal] was a thug,” Mullin said at the Friday news conference. “The absolute worst of the worst.”Mullin confirmed that officers were wearing body cameras but the footage has not been made public. New York City police released bodycam footage on Friday of police officers on the scene who had responded to a 911 call about the incident.In other violent incidents involving federal immigration officers, video evidence has contradicted initial accounts from ICE and Homeland Security officials, including in Minneapolis, where footage of the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good challenged federal officials’ descriptions of the encounters.The latest shooting prompted protests on Thursday night in the Bronx, where the shooting took place, with demonstrators condemning ICE and calling for the agency to be abolished. Tensions rose after NYPD officers clashed with some of the protesters.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting and said he had called US President Donald Trump to demand an end to ICE enforcement in the city. Speaking to reporters late on Thursday at the scene of the shooting, Mamdani said he had tried unsuccessfully to secure Belgal’s release in phone calls with Trump and Mullin.“These actions are making the city less safe,” Mamdani said. “ICE is rotten to its core.”Mullin accused Mamdani of prioritising politics over public safety and said Trump had offered to transfer Belgal to New York police custody if they pursued charges. Mullin said Mamdani refused this offer.New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani gives an update about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shooting in the Bronx borough of New York, October 8, 2026 [AFP]