Trump Calls ICE Heroes for Dominican Shot on 8 October
POLITICS · DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Key Facts
- —The country The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Dominicans form a large immigrant community in New York City.
- —Why it matters The ICE shooting of a Dominican father has become a test of federal immigration enforcement in a city whose leaders oppose it.
- —Why now New York elects its governor on Tuesday 3 November, and President Donald Trump has made the case part of that campaign.
- —What happened At a Syracuse rally on Friday 9 October, Trump called the officers “our heroes of ICE”. More than 1,000 people protested in Manhattan the same evening.
- —The numbers An officer fired seven rounds into the car of Oscar Bergal, 28, on Thursday 8 October. His son, 5, was in the car and unhurt.
- —What it means for you Expect more protests near federal buildings in Lower Manhattan, and a sharper national fight over ICE tactics in US cities.
- —Still open Whether body camera footage is released, and what the probes by DHS, the FBI and the Bronx district attorney find.
President Donald Trump praised the immigration officers behind a New York ICE shooting at a campaign rally in Syracuse on Friday 9 October. The man shot a day earlier is Oscar Bergal, a 28-year-old Dominican, whose 5-year-old son sat in the car. For US readers, the case now sits at the centre of a governor’s race and a national fight over how ICE operates in American cities.
The same evening, more than 1,000 protesters gathered in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. They demanded an independent inquiry and that ICE leave New York City, amNewYork reported. Court records spell his name Bergal; Dominican outlets have also used Belgal and Bengal.
Earlier coverage: Immigration Agent Shoots Dominican Man in New York and Judge Bars Deporting Dominican Shot by ICE on 8 October.
What Trump Said in Syracuse
Trump was in Syracuse, in upstate New York, to back Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor. Blakeman is the Nassau County Executive and is running against Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat seeking another term.
According to a transcript of the speech, Trump said: “Just yesterday, our heroes of ICE apprehended a man with a criminal record a mile long who was wanted for possible murder and murder in a gang.”
He added: “But instead of being praised, ICE was scorned by New York politicians who set him loose.” He did not name the man. The Spanish news agency EFE, in a report carried by the Dominican daily El Día, linked the remarks to Bergal.
Trump then told the crowd that electing Blakeman and a Republican Congress would “ban sanctuary cities and sanctuary states”. Sanctuary rules limit how far local police help federal immigration agents.
Trump offered no evidence for the murder claim. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has said Bergal pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny after a 2023 robbery arrest and received five years’ probation. She said a 2025 drug sale case is still pending.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which runs ICE, alleges ties to the Trinitarios gang. amNewYork notes those claims have not been independently verified. No murder charge against Bergal has been made public.
Protesters Fill Foley Square
The Friday evening rally stood opposite 26 Federal Plaza, the federal building that houses ICE’s New York offices. Hands Off NYC, a coalition of advocacy groups, organised it, according to amNewYork.
The New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road New York, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Working Families Party took part. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and City Comptroller Mark Levine joined them.
“Yesterday, a New Yorker was shot in the head in front of his five-year-old child,” said Murad Awawdeh, who leads the immigration coalition. Police say the bullet struck Bergal in the neck, just below the ear.
Protesters asked state Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, to open an independent investigation. They also demanded Bergal’s release, charges against the officer and the release of body camera footage. The crowd then marched to 201 Varick Street, which houses federal immigration offices and courts.
The Manhattan march was peaceful and closely watched by police, EFE reported.
Two Accounts of the Shooting
The ICE shooting took place on Thursday 8 October in Marble Hill, a Manhattan neighbourhood on the Bronx side of the Harlem River. Police say an officer fired seven rounds into Bergal’s car.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says Bergal ignored orders to leave his car, struck two ICE vehicles and accelerated toward officers. Mullin said the agents did not know a child was inside.
Tisch said city cameras show a plainclothes federal officer approaching the car with his gun drawn as Bergal parked. The cameras did not capture the shots themselves.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who wants ICE abolished, said agents wore construction-style vests and masks. On Friday a federal judge in Manhattan barred Bergal’s deportation for now, Diario Libre reported. He is held in a federal jail in Brooklyn. DHS and the FBI are investigating the shooting, and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said on Friday her office is also investigating, Diario Libre reported.
What It Means for You
For residents and visitors in New York, more marches near Foley Square and Varick Street are likely in the coming days. Such marches can slow traffic and access to federal buildings downtown.
For the wider US public, the case shows the White House is betting that tough enforcement wins votes, even in a Democratic state. Whether it pays off at the ballot box on 3 November is not yet known.
For Dominican families in the United States, the court order offers some stability. Bergal cannot be removed while the judge reviews his case.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether any court has issued a murder warrant for Bergal, as Trump suggested. Body camera footage has not been released, though Mullin confirmed the officers wore cameras.
It is also unclear whether Attorney General James will open her own inquiry, as protesters demand. The officer who fired has not been officially named.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Oscar Bergal?
Oscar Bergal is a 28-year-old Dominican man shot by an ICE officer in Marble Hill, New York, on Thursday 8 October while his 5-year-old son was in the car.
What did Trump say about the ICE shooting?
At a Syracuse rally on Friday 9 October, Trump called the officers “our heroes of ICE” and said they should be praised, not scorned. He offered no evidence for his murder claim.
Can Bergal be deported now?
Not for now. A federal judge in Manhattan barred his removal on Friday 9 October while the court reviews his case.
Sources: Transcript of Trump’s Syracuse rally, 9 October · El Día (EFE) · amNewYork, Foley Square protest · amNewYork, Mullin and Tisch accounts · Diario Libre · Remolacha
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief