A federal immigration officer fired seven rounds and shot Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old man from the Dominican Republic, in the neck during an immigration enforcement operation in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, according to NPR, citing NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Belgal was hit below his left ear and reached NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in stable condition. A 5-year-old boy, believed to be Belgal's son, was in the vehicle during the shooting.
The Operation and Its Target
The Department of Homeland Security said Belgal was the operation’s target. The department described the man it sought to arrest as a “criminal illegal alien” with a grand larceny conviction and a history of other arrests. It didn't explain why the officer fired seven rounds or why Belgal was shot in the neck. DHS identified its intended target and cited his criminal record, but left the officer’s use of force unexplained.
Police later found the 5-year-old boy safe, in the care of a family member. The child had been in the vehicle during the incident. The information provided doesn't identify the family member or describe what the child witnessed. Belgal went to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where officials reported him in stable condition.
Federal authorities removed Belgal from the hospital late Thursday night and took him away, AP reported. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he spent two hours Thursday night pressing President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to release Belgal. The account doesn't say where federal authorities took him or whether they released him after removing him from the hospital.
Officials Challenge the Enforcement Operation
Mamdani called the shooting an outrage and said ICE undermines public safety. He called for ICE's abolition and urged the Trump administration to halt immigration enforcement operations in New York City. His demands targeted the agency and its operations, while the federal department still hadn't explained why its officer fired at Belgal.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, said she delivered a similar message to Trump and Mullin by phone. Her account, as reported, didn't specify the length of the call or whether the two federal officials agreed to halt operations or release Belgal. The calls put the city's mayor and governor in direct contact with the president and homeland security secretary over the shooting and Belgal's custody.
Protesters and Local Officials Respond
Protesters and local officials criticized the operation as an example of the dangers of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The report describes public criticism and calls to stop enforcement, but names no unions or organized labor groups involved in the response. It also provides no figures on the number of ICE operations, arrests, or people affected in New York City.
The reported facts center on a federal operation, seven shots fired by an officer, a man taken to hospital in stable condition, and a child found safe. DHS identified Belgal as its target and cited his conviction and arrest history. It didn't explain the shooting. Mamdani and Hochul pressed the administration, while protesters and local officials condemned the operation.