US immigration officials on Friday defended federal agents who shot and wounded a New York City man in his car with his 5-year-old son in the back seat.
The shooting took place on Thursday afternoon in Marble Hill, Manhattan’s northernmost neighborhood, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attempted to arrest Oscar Belgal, a Dominican man identified by officials as being in the country illegally.
At a press conference on Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and senior ICE official Marcos Charles said Belgal refused to exit his car, accelerated and struck two ICE vehicles, and drove toward officers.
Charles said officers opened fire because Belgal “weaponized” his vehicle. Belgal suffered a superficial wound to his neck and is being held in a detention facility outside New York. Officials said they did not know the child was in the car at the time.
Mullin said body-camera footage would eventually be released. Video of the incident has not yet been made public.
The incident drew sharp criticism from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who called it an “outrage” and said he had tried unsuccessfully to secure Belgal’s release in calls with President Donald Trump and Mullin.
Officials said Belgal has a criminal record including a conviction for grand larceny that led to five years probation in April 2025. Since President Trump returned to office in January 2025, federal immigration officers have shot at least 21 people, killing 7, according to Reuters.
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