Caribbean immigration advocates in New York on Thursday, Sept. 8, expressed strong outrage over the shooting of a man in Manhattan by agents from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said on X, formerly Twitter, that the shooting took place in the Marble Hill neighborhood, which is a part of Manhattan but is geographically attached to the Bronx, and that “the NYPD was not involved in the incident and was not on scene at the time of the shooting.
“The individual who was shot is at a nearby hospital, and is currently conscious and receiving medical attention,” the NYPD said.
Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, said “ICE’s violent tactics are a clear danger to all New Yorkers, as today’s shooting in a residential neighborhood demonstrates.
“This incident is another reminder of the unchecked, rampant violence ICE has been spreading throughout our communities,” Awawdeh told Caribbean Life. “We have seen the devastating consequences of ICE shootings from Minnesota to Texas, which have led to the unnecessary deaths of too many community members.
“We demand an immediate investigation into the shooting, the release of the body camera footage, and accountability for any ICE agents who used excessive force,” he added. “We must abolish ICE and strengthen the safety of all New Yorkers.”
Yaritza Mendez, deputy director of Make the Road New York, another immigrant advocacy group, said while Thursday’s shooting is “horrific and heartbreaking, it is not shocking.
“For the past year and a half ICE has been given a green light by this administration to assault and murder immigrants and those who are standing up for our communities,” she told Caribbean Life. “We are calling for a thorough investigation into the events of this afternoon, and for accountability for those responsible.
“These are not officials who have gone rogue; this is an agency that has been armed to the teeth and given an unlimited budget in service of a xenophobic agenda,” Mendez added. “The violence is the point. Terrorizing our families is the point.
“ICE has no place in our city. Full stop,” she continued. “These lawless armed agents are kidnapping our family members in broad daylight. We have seen this again and again—in Minnesota, in Texas, in Maine, and now in New York.”
Mendez pointed to reports that indicate that ICE agents shot the unidentified man while he was in his car with a five-year-old in the back seat.
“This is an agency beyond reform,” she said. “We must abolish ICE now.
“Across New York, children go to school wondering if they will ever see their parents again. Workers worry that every parked car might contain agents who will whisk them away to detention centers in another state. It must end,” Mendez added. “We deserve better, and we will continue to fight to protect our families.”
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal noted that “residents of Marble Hill have been raising the alarm of a growing ICE presence in their neighborhood for months.
“To meet its mass deportation targets, the Trump administration is rushing thousands of new agents onto our streets with little to no training, giving them free rein and a mandate to terrorize our communities,” he said. “We have seen what happens when ICE operates unchecked. “New Yorkers won’t stand for it.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said early reports indicate that ICE agents surrounded the unidentified man and a 5-year-old child in his car before shooting.
“We believe the child was physically unharmed,” the mayor said. “This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation.
“I have called the president (Trump); when we speak, I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city,” Mamdani added. “I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities.
“Our thoughts are with the injured New Yorker and his family tonight. We are praying for his recovery,” he continued. “Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children. Abolish ICE!”
NYIC said more than two dozen people have been shot by federal immigration officers in the last year, with many shot in their cars, and that six have died.