Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old migrant from the Dominican Republic, was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during an attempted arrest in New York City on October 8, ending months of legal troubles and culminating in a violent confrontation in the Marble Hill neighborhood, which straddles Manhattan and the Bronx.
According to multiple accounts, Mr. Belgal entered the United States in late 2022 by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without being detained. Settling in the predominantly Dominican Washington Heights area, he initially stayed with friends before finding sporadic work washing cars and selling carpets. However, his efforts to establish stability were hampered by several run-ins with the law. In late 2023, he pleaded guilty to a nonviolent grand larceny charge related to the robbery of two acquaintances, for which he was sentenced to five years probation. Prosecutors later accused him of engaging in drug sales from early to mid-2023, involving multiple transactions of cocaine and other substances with undercover officers. He denied these charges and pleaded not guilty; that case remains unresolved.
ICE had made a failed attempt to apprehend Mr. Belgal on September 18, when he reportedly fled into a building and evaded arrest. On October 8, plainclothes ICE officers approached him as he sat in a parked vehicle with his 5-year-old son. Video surveillance shows officers running toward the car, one with a drawn firearm. Mr. Belgal then reversed and accelerated the vehicle, leading to officers firing multiple rounds. He crashed into a traffic barrier and was shot in the neck. His son was unharmed in the back seat. Mr. Belgal was transported to a hospital and later held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, with a bullet remaining lodged in his neck.
ICE officials stated that Mr. Belgal refused to exit the vehicle and attempted to use the car as a weapon, hitting two agency vehicles and nearly striking an officer. These claims have not been fully corroborated by released footage. The agency also asserted that Mr. Belgal had ties to the Trinitarios gang and indirectly or directly knew of a shooting involving an off-duty customs officer in Manhattan in July 2025, though evidence has not been publicly disclosed. His attorneys have categorically denied any gang affiliation and criticized the arrest as unlawful, noting that officers did not have a valid warrant or ongoing deportation proceedings at the time of the attempted arrest.
The incident has drawn attention amid increased ICE enforcement efforts under the Trump administration and concerns over the impact of New York’s sanctuary city policies. The Department of Homeland Security condemned the city’s refusal to transfer certain individuals to federal custody and pledged to continue targeting individuals considered criminal threats.
The Bronx district attorney is investigating the shooting, describing it as “a matter of grave concern.” Meanwhile, advocates have raised questions about the use of deadly force in a residential neighborhood, especially given that Mr. Belgal’s young son was present. The Legal Aid Society, representing Mr. Belgal, called for his release on medical grounds, citing inadequate care and ongoing trauma following the shooting.
Neighbors and acquaintances expressed mixed views on Mr. Belgal’s life in New York. While some acknowledged his struggles with employment and legal issues, others described him as kind and helpful within the community. Those he had previously wronged voiced feelings of betrayal and fear, reporting intimidation after his arrests. The circumstances surrounding his arrest and the shooting have sparked renewed debate on immigration enforcement measures and police tactics in the city.