Head of DHS Says Mamdani’s ‘Dangerous’ Words ‘Incite Hostility’ After Bronx ICE Shooting

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin blasted New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday for pressing his department to release the convicted criminal illegal immigrant shot by an ICE officer the previous day. Mr. Mullin told reporters he informed the mayor that the man, Oscar Belgal, would be released into the custody of the New York Police Department if local authorities would agree to pursue the charges currently pending against him.The mayor declined, he said, demanding that Belgal go free. After the call, Mr. Mamdani gave a press conference calling ICE “rotten to the core.”“His words are dangerous and incite hostility,” Mr. Mullin told reporters Friday, adding that his agents “don’t pick and choose which laws to enforce like these sanctuary politicians.”“I want to make it very clear: Sanctuary politicians, they create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for the American citizens to be safe,” Mr. Mullin said.According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers used their vehicles to block Belgal’s SUV near 225th Street at Manhattan’s Marble Hill neighborhood around 4 pm on Thursday. Belgal, who evaded arrest last month, reportedly rammed two of the cars blocking and drove toward agents. A 5-year-old boy, believed to be Belgal’s son, was in the car at the time. Fearing for their lives, agents opened fire, Mr. Mullin said, describing conditions similar to those the department reported following other ICE shootings, including the killings of U.S. citizen Renee Good in January and Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in August.“We wasn’t aware the child was in the car, I can tell you that,” Mr. Mullin told reporters. But do you know who was? Oscar. Oscar knew he had a child in his car. Oscar chose to accelerate at a high rate of speed and ram two different vehicles, as it appears. He was going towards officers. And so the public outcry should also be towards this criminal, this thug, this gangbanger, this possible murderer.”Belgal is believed to have information on the shooting of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in New York last year.A DHS spokesperson said Belgal is affiliated with the Trinitarios, a Dominican street gang. Locally, the spokesperson said, they are known for conducting robberies using weapons and mopeds.“The gang that he runs with is known for theft using weapons and mopeds.”Prior to his arrest, Belgal’s name was on one of 14,766 detainers ICE has issued since January 20, 2025 requesting that New York law enforcement agencies turn over illegal immigrants over to their officers rather than releasing them from custody. Those individuals are linked to 47,750 criminal charges.“Silence, absolute silence is what we’ve got from New York,” Mr. Mullin said. Mr. Mamdani held a joint press conference Thursday night calling the arrest “an outrage,” and “further devastating confirmation…that ICE operates with impunity,” and “sow chaos and terror across our country.”Mr. Mamdani had only himself to blame for the “chaos and terror,” according to Mr. Mullin, pointing to the NYPD officer who was stabbed seven times by another illegal immigrant at the Bronx just one week ago. That assailant had also been released from custody when New York refused to honor an ICE detainer, he said.“The outrage should be the same. If you actually want justice for actually everyone,” said Mr. Mullin. “It’s shameful that you have a mayor that goes out there and puts criminals over law-abiding citizens.”

Head of DHS Says Mamdani’s ‘Dangerous’ Words ‘Incite Hostility’ After Bronx ICE Shooting

Head of DHS Says Mamdani’s ‘Dangerous’ Words ‘Incite Hostility’ After Bronx ICE Shooting

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