U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot a 28-year-old man in New York City on Thursday while attempting to detain him, firing at his car as his 5-year-old son sat in the back seat, PBS reported.
Federal authorities said Oscar Belgal, who they say is illegally in the United States, attempted to ram officers with his vehicle when they tried to detain him. Agents fired at least seven rounds at the car, believing their lives were in danger, and said they were unaware a child was in the back seat, according to PBS.
The shooting has ignited protests, an open confrontation between federal and city officials, and renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics in New York, a sanctuary city. Federal immigration agents have now reportedly shot at least two dozen people since the start of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in January 2025, PBS reported.
Was the child in the car hurt?
No. The boy, Belgal's 5-year-old son, was unharmed and is now with family members, according to PBS.
Belgal was struck superficially in the neck by a bullet or fragments, ICE official Marcos Charles said. "Mr. Belgal was struck by one of the bullets or fragments superficially in the neck. He stopped his vehicle. We arrested him, rendered first aid information and then took him to the hospital," Charles said.
The Department of Homeland Security said Belgal has been transferred to an undisclosed detention facility outside New York.
What the ICE bodycam footage from New York shows
Bodycam footage released by the New York City Police Department shows city officers arriving at the scene to find plainclothes ICE officers, one seemingly dressed as a construction worker carrying a long gun, PBS reported. Another agent is seen tending to Belgal, who had been shot in the neck minutes before, with the car he had been driving — his son inside — visible in the background.
A witness at the scene described the gunfire as rapid: "It was really quick. It was boom, boom, boom, boom, boom."
Mamdani calls shooting an outrage as protesters clash with police
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the shooting an outrage. "Tonight, a 5-year-old child sits traumatized and terrified. Tonight, millions of our neighbors are wondering whether they will be safe on our streets, in our schools, at their worksites," he said.
That night, protesters gathered at the site of the shooting, and the growing crowd clashed with police, PBS reported.
Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul both spoke with President Trump, trying to negotiate Belgal's release and pressing the president to stop immigration enforcement operations in New York.
In a statement posted to social media, Hochul wrote: "New Yorkers have witnessed far too many acts of violence by a rogue federal agency and untrained agents that operate with impunity."
Homeland Security secretary blames sanctuary politicians
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Belgal had a criminal history and blamed the escalation on New York officials. "It is shameful that we're giving this particular case so much attention when this was a thug," Mullin said.
Mullin said sanctuary politicians "create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for the American citizens to be safe." He said President Trump had made clear he would restore law and order in cities, towns and states despite "career politicians that put criminals in front of law-abiding citizens."
What happens next in the investigation
An investigation into the shooting is under way. Several points remain unknown:
- Belgal's condition beyond the superficial neck wound
- The specific charges he faces
- The location of the detention facility where he is being held
- Whether the Trump administration will respond to the demands from Mamdani and Hochul to release Belgal and end enforcement operations in the city
The shooting comes amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which began in January 2025. The reported tally of at least two dozen people shot by federal immigration agents since then spans operations across the country, with New York's status as a sanctuary city now at the center of the dispute between Washington and state and city leaders.