Oscar Belgal’s detention after Marble Hill shooting sparks protests and calls for investigation

More than a week after officials confirmed a federal immigration agent shot a man in Marble Hill while his 5-year-old son sat in the back seat of his car, New Yorkers continued to mobilize across the city, demanding his release from federal custody and accountability for the shooting.

On Oct. 15, dozens of cyclists gathered where Oscar Belgal was shot and rode to Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. Along the way they passed New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where Belgal was treated the night of the shooting. Three days before cyclists took to the streets, protesters rallied outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Belgal is being held.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot Belgal on Oct. 8, according to officials. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told The Press it happened during a targeted enforcement operation. A DHS spokesperson said Belgal, who is from the Dominican Republic, is undocumented and has prior arrests for assault, robbery and drug and weapons possession. The spokesperson also said he has “associations to the Trinitarios gang.”

The Legal Aid Society, which represents Belgal, and the nonprofit Make the Road New York said Belgal needs surgery urgently but has not received adequate medical care. He has been held in solitary confinement with a bullet still lodged in his neck, according to his lawyers.

According to the groups, the left side of Belgal’s face is numb, he has lost some hearing in his left ear and he has a shoulder wound from glass that shattered during his arrest. The Legal Aid Society has since called for a “full and transparent” investigation by a prosecutor.

Many of the riders on Oct. 15 came from outside the neighborhood. Tommy Nunez said he rode about two and a half hours from Queens, counting a few stops, with a flag he made from fabric and a spray paint marker on the back of his bike.

He noted the shooting happened in “broad daylight,” with a child in the car. There is a school next to the site and five more nearby, he added. Nunez also criticized the way officials have described Belgal since the shooting, saying they were trying to make him look like a dangerous criminal instead of a victim.

Curtis Anderson also rode in from Queens, and said he felt he needed to show up and stand by his neighbors.

“ICE is everywhere,” Anderson said. “We have to stand united and let the president and this administration know that in this city we’re not going to put up with what ICE is doing, what they stand for.”

In Brooklyn, demonstrators outside the MDC held signs reading “ICE Out of NYC” and “Free Belgal.” People inside the jail could be heard banging on the windows, and the crowd waved back.

There, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams condemned both the shooting and the conditions of Belgal’s detention.

“You should not be in solitary confinement with a bullet in your neck after you’ve been shot with your child in the car,” Williams said. “We should not have to say that in the United States of America in 2026.”

Brad Lander, Democratic congressional nominee, said Belgal’s case is part of a pattern of ICE putting children at risk.

“Last week, it was with a hail of bullets that could have killed that kid, for, as we hear, no reason that has been presented,” Lander said. “Let’s be clear: no reason that could justify endangering the life of a child.”

After the rally, the group MDC Brooklyn Community Support held its weekly vigil at Third Avenue and 29th Street. The group has held these vigils for a year and a half.

Jordan Taylor Jones, associate pastor of Metro Hope Church in East Harlem, said the people inside live “under inhumane conditions with no access to spiritual care.” He led the crowd in prayer.

“Help us to love our neighbors more than we hate the systems that terrorize them,” Jones said. “Give us a heart of militant tenderness and give us strength to embody that love through sacrifice and action.”

The MDC declined to comment. The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not respond to requests for comment.