‘ICE is Rotten to its Core’: Mamdani Condemns Bronx Shooting, Says Child Was in Car

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has demanded an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city after federal agents shot a man in the Bronx, alleging that a five-year-old child was in the vehicle when they opened fire.

The shooting occurred around 4 pm on Thursday in the Marble Hill neighbourhood. Mamdani said several details remained unclear but accused the agency of endangering families on a crowded street shortly after school had ended.

ICE confirmed that an officer discharged a weapon during an arrest operation, injuring a Dominican Republic national. The agency said officers immediately provided medical assistance and that the incident remained under investigation.

MAMDANI SAYS CHILD ESCAPED INJURY

Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani alleged that agents surrounded the man’s vehicle while wearing construction vests and masks that concealed their faces, making it difficult to identify them as federal officers.

“School had just gotten out. The street was crowded with families and children,” he said, according to Fox News.

Mamdani said a five-year-old was in the back seat when agents opened fire and was physically unharmed.

“We know that ICE is rotten to its core,” he said, accusing the agency of operating with impunity and spreading “chaos and terror”.

The mayor also said he had spent two hours speaking with President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullen in an unsuccessful effort to secure the injured man’s release. According to Mamdani, ICE subsequently took the man away in an unmarked vehicle.

“Let me say this plainly: what happened today was an outrage,” he said.

ICE OUTLINES ITS ACCOUNT

ICE said its officers were attempting to arrest a Dominican Republic national with a prior grand larceny conviction and multiple previous arrests. It also alleged that the man had associations with the Trinitarios gang.

The agency said an officer fired during the encounter and that the injured man was alive and being treated at a local hospital. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were at the scene, it added.

ICE’s statement, as cited in the report, did not address Mamdani’s allegation that a child was in the vehicle.

The New York Police Department confirmed that its officers were not present during the encounter, according to Fox News.

ICE also criticised sanctuary policies, arguing that the release of people it considers dangerous makes enforcement operations more unpredictable and puts officers and the public at risk.

MAYOR CALLS FOR END TO ICE OPERATIONS

Earlier on Thursday, Mamdani said on X that initial reports indicated agents had surrounded a man and a five-year-old child in a car before firing multiple rounds.

Calling the situation “unconscionable and incredibly serious”, he said he would demand that Trump end all ICE enforcement actions in New York City.

“Our thoughts are with the injured New Yorker and his family tonight. We are praying for his recovery,” he wrote.

Mamdani called for ICE to leave the city’s neighbourhoods, hospitals and streets, ending his post with: “Abolish ICE.”

PROTESTERS GATHER AT HOSPITAL

Anti-ICE demonstrators gathered outside NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, where the injured man was being treated, according to the New York Post.

The newspaper reported a brief confrontation after some protesters pushed against police barricades. At least one demonstrator was arrested.

A CBS News analysis cited in the ANI report found at least 30 shootings involving Department of Homeland Security officers during Trump’s second administration, including some fatal incidents.

With inputs from ANI