New York City Mayor Zohra Mamdani’s attempt to secure the release of a New Yorker shot and detained by federal immigration agents ended in failure Thursday evening, intensifying tensions around immigration enforcement and policing in the city.
The incident unfolded when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot Oscar Belgal, a Dominican immigrant with a prior grand larceny conviction, during an attempted arrest in front of his 5-year-old son in the Marble Hill neighborhood. Federal officials said Belgal had refused to exit his vehicle and had “weaponized his vehicle,” prompting the use of force. Belgal was subsequently taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and later detained by ICE.
Mayor Mamdani spent two hours in phone calls with President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking Belgal’s release and proposing that city authorities take over the investigation. However, the city declined to detain Belgal, citing a lack of legal grounds, and the White House referred reporters to prior statements regarding the incident.
The shooting sparked immediate public outcry. Protesters gathered both near the scene and the hospital, clashing with the police. During the unrest, officers pushed Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democratic congressional nominee, to the ground. Avila Chevalier criticized the Police Department’s response, particularly the presence of the Strategic Response Group, a controversial police unit that Mayor Mamdani has pledged to disband. The Police Department denied that the unit was active at the protest, stating it was on standby only.
At a news conference alongside Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, Mamdani called for ICE’s abolition, but his remarks were frequently drowned out by chants accusing him of complicity. The commissioner’s decision to publicly disclose Belgal’s criminal record also drew criticism from local activists and allies. Avila Chevalier contended this action violated the spirit of New York’s sanctuary city policies, which aim to limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. She called for Tisch to resign, a demand Mamdani firmly rejected.
The mayor acknowledged frustrations among his left-wing base over his maintaining a relationship with Trump, whom he has previously called a fascist, and the failure of that connection to influence federal immigration enforcement in New York. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also jeered Mamdani during a vigil for victims of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the ongoing Gaza conflict, labeling him a traitor for engaging with the president.
Political observers noted the difficulties of Mamdani’s position as a young, democratic socialist mayor balancing progressive demands with the realities of governing a complex city. Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the city’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter, expressed disappointment that symbolic gestures have not translated into substantive policy changes on policing and immigration enforcement.
Mamdani described the recent events as a “perfect storm,” expressing empathy with those angered by the violence in Gaza and the federal crackdown on immigrants. He condemned the police’s rough treatment of protesters but reaffirmed his commitment to dismantling the Strategic Response Group and reviewing all recent developments with the police commissioner.
Experts noted that despite Mamdani’s efforts to engage with Trump, the president’s strict immigration policies are unlikely to yield exceptions, given their central role in his political strategy. As tensions persist, the episode highlights the ongoing challenges facing New York’s leadership in navigating federal-local relations on immigration and public safety.