New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched a fierce attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, describing it as a federal agency that rips families apart and willingly endangers the life of a five-year-old child along with any New Yorker nearby. He pointed to the October 8, 2026, incident in Marble Hill where ICE agents fired multiple rounds at a vehicle carrying the young boy while attempting to arrest 28-year-old Oscar Belgal, a Dominican national with prior convictions including grand larceny. Belgal had moved the car forward during the encounter, and agents shot him in the neck; the child escaped physical harm. Mamdani charged that after the shooting ICE sought to blame Belgal and the city at large rather than examine its own actions. The mayor said he spoke directly with President Trump about the matter and insisted the agency must stop operating in New York City and ultimately be abolished.

Federal officials have countered that Belgal endangered his own son by trying to flee a targeted enforcement action. Mamdani rejected that framing and used the episode to argue that ICE’s methods put ordinary residents at unnecessary risk. He framed the Marble Hill shooting as clear evidence that the agency prioritizes aggressive tactics over public safety. The mayor’s comments underscore a deepening clash between city leadership and federal immigration authorities over how enforcement operations are conducted on New York streets. By highlighting both the presence of a child in the vehicle and the aftermath of blame-shifting, Mamdani sought to shift the conversation toward accountability. The exchange leaves open questions about the future of ICE activity in the city and the balance between enforcement and community safety.