Protests have erupted in New York after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a Dominican man during an operation in the Bronx, escalating tensions between the city’s mayor and President Donald Trump’s administration.
Oscar Bergal, 28, was wounded in the neck on Thursday, October 8, while a five-year-old child inside his car was physically unharmed, according to reports.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Manhattan on Friday, chanting against ICE and calling for immigrants to be welcomed, as anger over the shooting spread.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticised the incident and called for the abolition of ICE in a post on X, while saying he intended to speak with Trump and demand the withdrawal of immigration agents from the city.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin condemned the mayor’s remarks, describing them as dangerous and capable of inciting hostility towards immigration officers.
Mullin alleged that Bergal had an extensive criminal history and was attempting to evade arrest. He also said ICE officers did not know a child was inside the vehicle when they opened fire.
A senior ICE official, Marcos Charles, said Bergal had refused lawful orders to leave his vehicle before accelerating into two government vehicles and driving towards officers.
Charles said the agents fired because they believed their lives, those of their colleagues and members of the public were in danger.
Video of the incident circulated in US media on Friday, showing what appeared to be a plainclothes federal agent approaching a silver car with a gun drawn and striking the driver-side window. A second officer then drew a weapon as the vehicle moved away.
The shooting has renewed scrutiny of ICE operations, with federal immigration agents involved in several high-profile shootings in recent months.
Among the incidents cited in reports are the deaths of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were shot by federal immigration agents in separate incidents in Minnesota during an immigration crackdown earlier this year.
Another Mexican man, Lorenzo Salgado, died in July after being shot by an ICE officer in Houston, Texas.
New York is among several US cities that restrict local police from assisting federal immigration enforcement, placing the latest incident at the centre of an ongoing dispute over immigration policy and law enforcement.
The shooting could also test the relationship between Mamdani and Trump, whose interactions had been described as unexpectedly cordial despite their political differences.
About The Author
