In brief
In the Bronx, an ICE agent fired multiple rounds into a car that carried a 28‑year‑old immigrant and his 5‑year‑old son, leaving the adult alive but hospitalized. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the agent was attempting to arrest a “criminal illegal alien,” while city leaders called the act unconscionable. Governor Kathy Hochul demanded President Trump release body‑cam footage, and protests erupted outside the city’s court. The victim, Oscar Belgal of the Dominican Republic, has a history of violent crime and ties to the Trinitarios gang. This incident adds to a growing list of ICE shootings, fueling debate over federal‑local cooperation on immigration enforcement.
When an ICE agent fired on a car in the Bronx, the target, 28‑year‑old Oscar Belgal, survived and was rushed to a hospital—even though his 5‑year‑old son was in the backseat.
The Department of Homeland Security said the officer was trying to arrest a man described as a "criminal illegal alien" and repeatedly fired into the vehicle.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani blasted the shooting as “unconscionable” and a “serious situation,” while Governor Kathy Hochul told President Trump she was "outraged" and demanded body‑cam footage be released.
Belgal, originally from the Dominican Republic, has a résumé of violent and drug‑related offenses and was linked to the criminal gang the Trinitarios. He was arrested in December 2023 and released a few days later.
The incident sparked protests outside the Bronx court, with demonstrators chanting “ICE off our streets” and demanding justice.
This event joins a growing list of high‑profile ICE shootings in 2026, underscoring tensions between federal immigration enforcement and city governments that refuse to cooperate.
