NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Lawyers say Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old man shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has not received surgery despite still having a bullet in his neck.
The man was shot by an ICE agent in Marble Hill Thursday evening, according to NYPD officials. He was in the car with his 5-year-old son when at least one ICE agent fired seven shots, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
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Now, Belgal is in ICE detention facing “horrific” conditions. He’s been in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to counsel with the Legal Aid Society and Make the Road New York. They say he hasn’t eaten in days.
“While he is currently in solitary confinement, a bullet remains lodged in his neck, the left side of his face is numb and he can barely hear out of his left ear,” according to spokespeople for the Legal Aid Society and Make the Road New York. “He is also suffering from a shoulder wound caused by shattered glass during the incident.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to PIX11 News’ request for comment. Federal officials say it was a targeted enforcement action to bring Belgal into custody, and he failed to comply. Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted all the federal agents were plainclothes.
Belgal couldn’t have emergency surgery right after the shooting because it would’ve required a “specialized surgeon.”
“Although he was instructed to return to the hospital this week, he has been left in the dark about whether that surgery will even happen,” spokespeople for Belgal said.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.