The Legal Aid Society is condemning the shooting of client Oscar Belgal by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last night in Marble Hill.

“The shooting of Oscar Belgal by ICE in New York City is an urgent call to rein in ICE’s use of force and hold federal immigration agents accountable,” reads a statement from Legal Aid. “Mr. Belgal’s five-year-old child was in the vehicle when ICE fired on it, raising grave concerns about the reckless endangerment of children and families during immigration enforcement operations. Our communities should not have to live in fear of federal agents who act with impunity.”

“A justice system cannot be fair if accountability depends on who commits the offense,” the statement continues. “Federal agents must not be afforded a different standard of justice simply because they wear a badge. We call on the District Attorney to pursue accountability with the same resolve demonstrated by prosecutors in Minneapolis in cases involving federal immigration agents. The law must apply equally to everyone, and no one should be above it.”

“Since the start of the second Trump Administration, federal immigration agents have shot at least 21 people, underscoring the alarming toll of increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics,” the statement reads. “We call for a full and transparent investigation into the shooting of Mr. Belgal, accountability for those responsible, and an end to federal immigration enforcement tactics that put the safety and well-being of New Yorkers at risk. ICE’s escalating presence in New York City must end.”