Immigration Agent Shoots Dominican Man in New York
Society: Dominican Republic
Key Facts
—Who. Oscar Belgal, 28, a Dominican national, shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. His 5-year-old child was in the back seat and was not physically hurt.
—What. An ICE officer fired seven rounds into his car during an immigration arrest operation, and he was hit in the neck. He is in stable condition.
—Where. Marble Hill, a neighbourhood on the northern tip of Manhattan that sits beside the Bronx, near West 225th Street. Protests followed outside NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital.
—When. Around 4 p.m. on Thursday 8 October 2026. Further protests took place on Friday 9 October 2026.
—Status. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and New York officials give conflicting accounts. A federal judge has set a hearing on the man’s case.
—As of. 9 October 2026, 20:00 GMT.
An ICE agent shot and wounded a Dominican man in front of his 5-year-old child during an immigration arrest in New York City on Thursday 8 October 2026. Protests followed, and New York leaders demanded answers from Washington, which matters to US readers because the case tests federal immigration enforcement inside a city whose mayor opposes it.
What We Know
Commissioner Tisch said a plainclothes federal officer approached Belgal’s car with a weapon drawn as he pulled into a parking space. When the car moved forward, at least one officer fired seven rounds, according to NBC New York.
Belgal was struck in the neck, below the left ear, and taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Inwood. Tisch said he is in stable condition, and the child was not physically injured.
DHS said its officers were carrying out “a targeted enforcement operation” against a man from the Dominican Republic with a prior grand larceny conviction. It also cited earlier arrests, which we have not independently verified.
DHS says the man drove into officers’ vehicles and that they believed their lives were in danger, as reported by the Bronx Times. It also said officers “immediately rendered aid,” and NBC New York reports that DHS said it did not know a child was in the car.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) commissioner described the sequence of events at a news briefing. Civic leaders at the protest asked the agents involved to identify themselves.
How New York Leaders Responded
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said: “ICE shot a New Yorker while his five year old child was in the car.” He also said he spent two hours on the phone with President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin without winning the man’s release, according to ABC7 New York.
Governor Kathy Hochul said she spoke with both men and demanded “full transparency.” She asked for all body camera footage to be made public and urged federal authorities to halt ICE operations in New York.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital on Thursday night, chanting “ICE out of NYC,” and police made arrests, according to ABC7 New York. Another protest was planned for Friday afternoon at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan.
Dominican media, including RNN in the Dominican Republic, reported the shooting as a case of a Dominican citizen wounded in New York. We did not find a statement from the Dominican foreign ministry or its New York consulate by the time of publication.
The Dispute Over What Happened
The accounts differ on a key point. Tisch described the car as moving forward, while DHS says the driver rammed its vehicles and endangered officers.
No video has been made public in the coverage we reviewed. Hochul’s call for body camera footage shows that the footage is likely to decide which account stands.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether any agent will face an inquiry or discipline, or what the federal investigation will conclude. Belgal’s own account has not been published, and the DHS account of his record and of the shooting has not been tested in court.
NBC New York reports that he remains in ICE custody at an undisclosed location, and that his attorney has filed a federal petition. A judge set a hearing for Friday afternoon, but we found no Dominican government statement and no decision on his immigration case.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
Dominican New Yorkers form a large community, and many US readers have ties to it through family, work or travel. A confrontation of this kind can raise tension between city and federal authorities and affect how immigrant neighbourhoods deal with police.
Travelers with a Dominican or other immigration case should carry valid documents and follow official guidance from their own government. Protests in northern Manhattan and the Bronx have so far centred on the hospital and public squares, and local news and NYPD notices give the latest on street closures.
More: Dominican Republic news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Marble Hill?
An ICE agent fired seven rounds into a car during an immigration arrest operation on Thursday 8 October 2026. The driver, a 28-year-old Dominican man, was hit in the neck and is in stable condition, according to the NYPD commissioner.
Was the child hurt?
Officials say the 5-year-old child in the back seat was not physically injured. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the child was in the car at the time.
What does DHS say about the man?
DHS says he has a prior grand larceny conviction and several earlier arrests, and that he drove into officers’ vehicles. The account of the shooting is DHS’s version, and New York officials dispute it.
What happens next?
Governor Kathy Hochul has asked for body camera footage to be released. A further protest was planned for Friday 9 October 2026, and no findings have been published.
Sources
NBC New York · CBS New York · ABC7 New York · Bronx Times · Gothamist · RNN (Dominican Republic) · RNN, protests
Connected Coverage
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