Mamdani Presses Trump to Halt ICE Operations After Bronx Shooting

A federal immigration enforcement operation in Marble Hill, a residential neighborhood in the Bronx, left a man wounded on October 8, 2026, prompting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to demand that President Donald Trump stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city. The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. while the man was inside a vehicle with a 5-year-old boy believed to be his son, according to New York police.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the injured man as 28-year-old Oscar Belgal. Investigators said an ICE agent fired seven rounds, striking the driver in the neck below his left ear. Police found Belgal handcuffed at the scene and transported him to New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

The boy was safe and placed in the care of a family member, Tisch said. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that an ICE officer fired a weapon and that agents provided immediate medical assistance to the injured man. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.

Mamdani condemned the incident and said he contacted Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The mayor said a two-hour conversation with the officials failed to secure the injured man's release.

"This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation," Mamdani said in a statement Thursday evening.

The mayor described his intended response to the president and his opposition to the agency's activities in New York.

"I have called the President; when we speak I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city. I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities," Mamdani said.

Mamdani has repeatedly criticized federal immigration enforcement and supported calls to abolish ICE. He maintained that the agency's operations conflict with public safety.

"I have said this directly—whether to the President or to the public—ICE undermines public safety," Mamdani said.

New York police said federal agents were carrying out a targeted operation to detain a person in a gray vehicle near 2 Marble Hill Avenue. Tisch said an undercover agent approached the driver's window with a gun drawn while another agent stood near the vehicle's headlight. The vehicle then moved forward, according to the preliminary investigation.

Tisch described the operation as agents were attempting to take a person into custody.

"conducting a targeted enforcement operation" was how Tisch characterized the agents' activity, according to her account of the preliminary findings.

She said evidence gathered at the scene indicated that an agent fired multiple rounds at the driver.

"striking the driver in the neck below his left ear." Tisch said the evidence showed that at least one ICE agent fired seven rounds.

Police also encountered federal personnel at the scene, including an armed individual.

"at least one carrying a long gun." Tisch said police saw men wearing various types of clothing when officers arrived.

Belgal was found restrained as city officers moved to assist him.

"handcuffed and seated on the ground," Tisch said, describing the man's condition when police arrived. Officers placed him in a police vehicle, provided aid and took him to the hospital.

The Department of Homeland Security offered a separate account of the shooting, confirming that an officer discharged a weapon during the operation.

"discharged his weapon" was the department's description of the officer's action. The agency said its personnel immediately rendered aid to the injured target.

The department also stated that the case remained under review.

"The incident remains under investigation," the Department of Homeland Security said.

On Friday, Mullin defended the federal officers and criticized the mayor's response. He said the officers involved were wearing body cameras and that video footage related to the incident existed. He pledged that authorities would release information as the investigation progressed.

The Department of Homeland Security directed attention to its criticism of local officials who limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

"sanctuary politicians" was the department's characterization of New York officials who oppose aspects of federal immigration enforcement.

Mullin accused Mamdani of worsening tensions over the operation.

"inciting hostilities" was Mullin's criticism of the mayor's conduct, as he argued that Mamdani was undermining ICE's mission.

The secretary also said the agency had attempted to detain Belgal in September but had not succeeded. He described the injured man as affiliated with a gang and said ICE believed he had information about the shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer the previous year.

"affiliated with a gang" was Mullin's description of Belgal's alleged connections. The secretary did not provide further details in the account published by TIME.

The Department of Homeland Security alleged that Belgal had a criminal history and links to the Trinitarios gang, which it associated with the earlier shooting of a federal officer.

"criminal illegal" was the department's description of the immigration status and criminal background of its enforcement target. The agency also cited a prior conviction for grand larceny and arrests involving other alleged offenses.

"with a prior criminal conviction for grand larceny, and multiple prior arrests for assault, robbery, possession of drugs, and weapons possession." The department used this description in its statement about the target of the operation.

The agency also criticized New York's sanctuary policies, arguing that they had allowed Belgal to return to the community after an earlier arrest.

"but was released into the community a few days later by reckless Democrat sanctuary policies that put American lives at risk." The department included this allegation in its account of Belgal's 2023 arrest.

According to Tisch, Belgal had two prior arrests in New York City. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny and received five years of probation following a robbery arrest. A separate 2025 arrest involving the alleged criminal sale of a controlled substance remained pending, police said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the shooting and said she had spoken with Trump and Mullin. She called for federal authorities to explain what happened.

"New Yorkers have witnessed far too many acts of violence by a rogue federal agency and untrained agents that operate with impunity," Hochul said.

Hochul demanded an immediate response from federal officials regarding the incident and the conduct of the agents involved.

"Federal authorities need to provide answers, and they must do so immediately," the governor said.

The shooting has intensified opposition to immigration enforcement in New York City, where protesters gathered to challenge ICE tactics. According to figures compiled by The New York Times and ABC News, more than 20 people have been shot in incidents involving federal immigration agents, with at least six killed, including U.S. citizens Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Ruben Ray Martinez.

Gothamist reported on October 7 that more than 8,800 ICE arrests, nearly half of the total recorded across New York state during Trump's second term, had occurred in the city's five boroughs. The broader dispute over federal immigration enforcement has also contributed to congressional funding battles and partial shutdowns affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

Mamdani also raised concerns about the danger posed to the child inside the vehicle during the operation.

"There is no explanation for federal officers firing this many rounds into a car" Mamdani said, according to the account published by TIME.

Mullin said investigators would release additional information as the case progressed. The investigation into the shooting remained ongoing as of Friday, October 9, 2026.