ICE agents shot a NY man in his car with his 5-year-old inside. Now Mamdani has revealed what happened when he called Trump

A federal immigration operation in the Bronx ended in a shooting Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8, after an ICE agent opened fire on a car carrying a 28-year-old man and his 5-year-old child.

The shooting happened in Marble Hill and has since drawn protests and criticism from New York City officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who have questioned how federal agents handled the operation. It has also added to the growing tension between the city and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement.

According to Reuters, the incident happened around 4 p.m., as nearby schools were letting out. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Oscar Belgal, the man federal agents were looking for, was pulling into a parking space when two plainclothes officers approached his car with their weapons drawn. The NYPD had not been told about the operation.

He was allegedly shot at with his child in the backseat

Witnesses said the agents wore masks and bright yellow construction vests. Footage from the scene later showed one of them carrying a modified AR-15-style rifle.

Belgal began moving his car forward, and at least one officer opened fire. Seven rounds were discharged into the vehicle, with one bullet grazing Belgal just below his left ear. His injury was not considered life-threatening.

NYPD officers arrived after hearing the gunfire. They had not been briefed on the operation, but took Belgal to a nearby hospital in a police cruiser rather than wait for an ambulance. His 5-year-old child, who was in the back seat, was not physically injured and was later reunited with extended family.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the agents involved. It said its Enforcement and Removal Operations officers were carrying out a warrant to apprehend an undocumented Dominican Republic national. Federal authorities allege that Belgal has ties to the Trinitarios, a violent transnational street gang.

DHS records also indicate that Belgal has a prior federal conviction for grand larceny. He has reportedly been arrested in connection with other alleged offenses, including assault, armed robbery, narcotics possession, and illegal weapons possession.

The shooting has put New York City Mayor Mamdani at odds with the Trump administration. Mamdani said he spent two hours on Thursday evening speaking with President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, hoping to secure Belgal’s release to local medical authorities. The talks went nowhere.

The White House rejected the criticism

Mamdani later appeared at a press conference with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. He called for ICE to be abolished, saying the shooting reinforced his view that the agency was operating without sufficient accountability. Mamdani said:

“Today’s shooting is only further devastating confirmation of what we have long known, which is that ICE operates with impunity. This city wants ICE out. We want ICE out of our city, ICE out of our schools, ICE out of our hospitals, ICE out of our streets.”

The White House and DHS rejected the mayor’s criticism, defending federal immigration enforcement and arguing that city policies shielding criminal suspects put communities at risk.

Governor Kathy Hochul also spoke with Trump about the incident. She said she had conveyed New Yorkers’ concerns and called for the immediate release of federal body-camera footage. The footage could help establish a clearer account of what happened during the operation.