Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sharply rebuked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday, accusing the Democrat of fueling hostility with his reaction to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shooting that left a Dominican man wounded.
Speaking at a press conference, Mullin said Mamdani's public comments were irresponsible and amounted to "political theater." He contrasted his own approach with the mayor's, stating, "I am speaking facts; the mayor speaks with political tone. His words are dangerous and incite hostility; it doesn't help."
The confrontation stems from Thursday's incident in which an ICE officer shot Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic, in the neck while Belgal was driving with a 5-year-old child in the car. Belgal, who has a criminal history, was hospitalized, and the child was unharmed and placed with a family member.
Mamdani, a vocal critic of ICE, denounced the agency's tactics during a Thursday night press conference, demanding answers and calling for the release of body-camera footage. He said he had spoken with President Trump and Mullin to secure Belgal's release but was unsuccessful.
Mullin countered that the Trump administration offered to release Belgal to NYPD custody if the city would pursue charges, but Mamdani declined. He alleged that Belgal may have been in the U.S. for three years and engaged in "extensive criminal activity." The NYPD released its own body-camera footage on Friday, showing moments after the shooting.
The secretary also took aim at Mamdani's characterization of Belgal as a New Yorker and his broader criticism of ICE, including calls to abolish the agency. "Really? The men and women of ICE each day are enforcing the laws that he refuses to enforce," Mullin said. "We arrest thousands weekly that are criminals, going after the worst of the worst, and he turns a blind eye to it."
Mullin defended ICE's actions, noting that officers were serving a lawful order and that Belgal had previously evaded them. He said ICE was unaware the child was in the car and that the officers involved had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. He placed blame on Belgal, saying he accelerated at "high speed" despite knowing the child was present. "The public outcry should be also toward this criminal, this thug, this gang-banger, this possible murderer," Mullin added.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that Belgal had pleaded guilty to grand larceny and that a separate drug investigation involving him had been taken over by federal authorities.
The clash highlights ongoing tensions between the city and federal immigration enforcement, a theme that has resonated in Mamdani's calls for ICE to leave New York. It also comes as the Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement, with similar confrontations in other blue states. Meanwhile, the legal landscape for federal actions remains under scrutiny, as seen in other Supreme Court cases.
