US immigration officials defend ICE agents who shot man in same car as child

What the report says

US immigration officials have defended ICE agents after they shot and wounded Oscar Belgal during an arrest attempt in New York on Thursday, while his five-year-old son was in the back seat of the car. The BBC reports that the incident took place in Marble Hill, a residential area, and that Belgal, 28, survived and is now being held at a detention facility outside New York.

At a Friday briefing, Homeland Security officials said agents opened fire after Belgal allegedly resisted commands to exit the vehicle, struck two ICE vehicles and accelerated toward officers. They argued the agents believed their lives and public safety were in danger. Officials also said they were not aware a child was inside the car at the time. The number of officers who fired is still under investigation.

New York City officials sharply criticised the shooting. Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it serious and said ICE agents surrounded the car before firing, describing them as wearing construction vests and masks that made identification difficult. Governor Kathy Hochul also demanded prompt answers. The child was not hurt, according to the mayor.

The DHS says Belgal is from the Dominican Republic and has a criminal history, including a prior conviction and multiple arrests. His lawyers told the BBC they had not yet been able to speak with him. More broadly, the case adds to scrutiny of ICE use-of-force incidents and tensions between federal immigration enforcement and New York officials.