{"id":369176,"date":"2026-10-09T19:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/369176\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T19:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:40:13","slug":"dhs-officials-defend-their-actions-in-shooting-of-nyc-immigrant-amid-outcry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/369176\/","title":{"rendered":"DHS officials defend their actions in shooting of NYC immigrant amid outcry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senior Homeland Security officials defended the ICE officers involved in the shooting of a Dominican man <\/a>in New York City on Thursday, which happened in the presence of his 5-year-old son.<\/p>\n

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin blamed the man who was shot, Oscar Bergal, for endangering the life of the child, who was seating in the back seat of Bergal\u2019s car.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t aware the child was in the car. I can tell you that, but you know who was? Oscar. Oscar knew he had a child in his car,\u201d Mullin said in a news briefing Friday at ICE\u2019s headquarters in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

According to a timeline of events provided during the briefing, ICE officers tried to arrest Bergal, 28, using two vehicles to block his car. After he refused orders to exit his car, Bergal accelerated and smashed into the ICE vehicles. <\/p>\n

Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Marcos Charles said Bergal \u201cweaponized his vehicle and proceeded to accelerate, going towards other officers.\u201d <\/p>\n

The officers responded by firing their weapons, believing \u201cthat their life and the life of the partners and general public were in danger,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\"US-IMMIGRATION-ICE\"A scene of the incident on Thursday in New York City after ICE officers shot Oscar Bergal. Charly Triballeau \/ AFP via Getty<\/p>\n

Bergal stopped his car after he was \u201cstruck by one of the bullets or fragments superficially in the neck,\u201d Charles said. \u201cWe arrested him, rendered first aid, and then took him to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Body-camera footage from New York Police Department<\/a> officers who responded to the shooting shows they were the ones who transported Bergal to the hospital to receive medical care. The NYPD has said it was not involved in Bergal\u2019s immigration arrest.<\/p>\n

As of Thursday night, Bergal was in stable condition, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.<\/p>\n

The incident has sparked public outcry in New York City, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying on Thursday night that \u201cthere is no explanation for federal officers firing this many rounds into a car that has a 5-year-old in the car.\u201d <\/p>\n

Protests erupted shortly after the shooting in Marble Hill, with five people taken into custody Thursday night, according to the NYPD. More protests are expected on Friday evening<\/a>. <\/p>\n

During the briefing, Mullin said that outrage should be directed \u201ctowards this criminal\u201d and not his agency.<\/p>\n

According to authorities, Bergal was previously arrested for robbery, for which he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny and received five years\u2019 probation. He also has a pending case for criminal sale of a controlled substance.<\/p>\n

Charles said Bergal evaded officers last month when ICE tried to arrest him for deportation.<\/p>\n

The ICE shooting in New York City coincided with another immigration enforcement incident on Thursday in Harrison, New Jersey, which also took place in the presence of children. <\/p>\n

DHS told NBC News in a statement that ICE officers were seeking to arrest Jhon Maykel Correa-Sangucho, a Honduran national they say is not authorized to be in the country and has multiple traffic infractions.<\/p>\n

A video of the arrest filmed by a bystander<\/a> shows two children screaming as they cling to a man ICE officers are detaining. A woman is also taken into custody. The two weeping young children are seen collapsed on the sidewalk, howling as they see agents complete the arrest and drive away. <\/p>\n

DHS said Correa-Sangucho was inside his car and had declined multiple orders to exit his vehicle during that encounter, but ICE officers were able to remove him from the car.<\/p>\n

The woman who was with Correa-Sangucho and a bystander \u201cattempted to obstruct the arrest,\u201d DHS said, adding they are \u201cunder investigation for assaulting, resisting, and impeding federal officers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video did not show any conversation on whether the adults could take the children with them to enter family detention. NBC News asked Mullin at the news conference what the plans were for the children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll give them an option to allow the kids to go with them once the scene is secured,\u201d Mullin said.<\/p>\n