Full Breakdown
New York Man Shot by ICE Officers Appears in Immigration Court Amid Disputed Accounts
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A 28-year-old Dominican national, Oscar Belgal, was shot by ICE officers while driving with his 5-year-old son in the back seat in Manhattan last week. Attorneys allege masked officers in civilian clothing shattered a window and fired as he tried to leave. The bullet remains lodged in the back of his neck, causing facial numbness, left-ear hearing loss, and requiring surgery, according to a court filing.
Background & Context
The shooting occurs amid heightened tensions in New York City over ICE’s presence in a sanctuary-city jurisdiction. Local officials have repeatedly criticized federal immigration enforcement, saying it endangers community safety and erodes trust.
Data & Statistics
- The bullet is still embedded in Belgal’s neck; he reports numbness on the left side of his face and difficulty hearing out of his left ear.
- He has received only ibuprofen for pain.
- Belgal is held in a segregated unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn under 24-hour lockdown with no telephone access.
- He is detained without bond while federal prosecutors seek his removal.
Official Statements & Responses
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Officers believed their lives were in danger and opened fire after Belgal’s vehicle struck two government vehicles and accelerated toward them.
- Judge Dara Reid: Noted she has no authority over detainee placement and scheduled the next hearing for later in October.
- U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez: Barred the administration from deporting Belgal or transferring him outside the Southern or Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey, and asked the government to justify his continued mandatory detention.
- Legal Aid Society (Karene Brown): Reported Belgal has been on continuous lockdown and requests to move him out of solitary have not been honored.
Criticism & Opposition
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Called the shooting “unacceptable” and urged the federal government to remove ICE from New York City.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin: Defended ICE’s operations and criticized the city’s sanctuary policies.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- ICE’s Account: DHS says officers acted in self-defense after the vehicle collision and acceleration.
- Attorneys’ Account: Lawyers claim officers did not identify themselves, broke the driver’s side window, and fired while the child was present, with no provocation beyond Belgal trying to leave.
- Video Evidence: NYPD-released body-camera and surveillance footage shows the encounter but does not conclusively clarify whether Belgal’s vehicle struck government cars or the exact sequence of officer actions.
What’s Next
Belgal’s legal team has filed a federal habeas petition seeking release, and the immigration judge will consider further arguments at the October hearing. DHS is expected to respond to the court’s request for justification of his mandatory detention.