New York — ICE Shooting of Bronx Driver Prompts 'Abolish ICE' Calls

A federal immigration officer shot a man driving a car in New York's Marble Hill neighborhood on Thursday afternoon while the man's five-year-old son was reportedly sitting inside the vehicle, according to the Guardian. At least seven shots were fired and the driver was hit in the neck as children were walking home from school, the Guardian reported, citing the account that sparked protests at a Manhattan hospital that night.

What happened in Marble Hill?

The shooting occurred late Thursday in the busy neighborhood, which is legally part of Manhattan but sits geographically in the Bronx, the Guardian reported. The timing — as schoolchildren were returning home — drew immediate attention from residents and elected officials, according to the outlet.

Who was shot, and what do authorities say about him?

Federal authorities identified the man as Oscar Belgal on Friday morning, telling the Guardian he was undocumented, from the Dominican Republic, and had a felony record and gang affiliations. Those characterizations came from federal officials and have not been independently confirmed by the court record described in the Guardian's reporting. Belgal was later booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal lockup newly being used to hold immigrants, according to his attorneys and a U.S. prosecutor who spoke at a Friday hearing, the Guardian reported.

What are his attorneys saying?

Attorney Paige Austin of Make the Road New York told the Guardian that Belgal still has "a bullet in his body" and had not been able to communicate with his family. He was permitted only one phone call with lawyers on Friday, Austin said, according to the report. The Guardian's account describes a chain of custody in which ICE took Belgal from a New York hospital into New Jersey on Thursday, where he reportedly spent the night at the privately run Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility before being returned to New York and booked at MDC Brooklyn.

What did the court order, and what is the dispute?

A federal judge in New York ordered ICE early Friday to keep Belgal within the area after his attorneys filed emergency motions seeking his release, the Guardian reported. The Justice Department is expected to argue that Belgal's transfer to New Jersey occurred before the judge's order took effect, according to the Guardian — a timing dispute that remains unresolved in the public record as of the report.

How have elected officials responded?

Leading New York Democrats, including New York City figures and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, expressed anger over the shooting and called for curbs on ICE conduct, with some invoking "Abolish ICE," the Guardian reported. The outlet did not detail specific legislative or policy proposals attached to those statements beyond the demand for accountability over the use of force.

What happens next in the case?

The Guardian's reporting leaves open whether Belgal will be released, transferred again, or charged, pending further court proceedings. His medical condition — with a bullet still in his body, per his attorneys — and his limited contact with family and counsel remain unresolved questions the court will need to address.

This report draws on the Guardian's original story. No additional independent sourcing was available at the time of publication.