Top things to know
- An ICE officer shot Oscar Belgal in the neck in Marble Hill while his 5-year-old son was in the car; Belgal survived and the child was not physically injured.
- TRAC data shows 70.6% of ICE detainees as of July 11 — 46,436 of 65,765 — had no criminal conviction.
- An October analysis of federal records found more than 19,500 ICE arrests in New York State and nearly 18,000 in New Jersey since the start of Trump's second term.
- NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch disclosed Belgal's criminal record at a press conference; the article questions whether that framing substitutes for investigating the use of force.
- The piece urges concrete action including know-your-rights training, neighborhood networks, questioning property owners about ICE cooperation and demanding City Hall accountability.
An ICE officer shot Oscar Belgal in the neck in Marble Hill on a Thursday afternoon while his 5-year-old son was in his car, according to an opinion piece published by The Haitian Times. Belgal survived and the child was not physically injured, the article states.
The piece argues that online outrage alone is insufficient to protect immigrant communities in New York and outlines concrete steps residents can take. It cites data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University showing that as of July 11, 46,436 of 65,765 ICE detainees — 70.6% — had no criminal conviction.
An October analysis of federal records obtained by the Deportation Data Project and reported by Gothamist found more than 19,500 ICE arrests in New York State and nearly 18,000 in New Jersey since the start of President Trump's second term, according to the article. Most involved Latin American men without criminal histories, it says.
At a press conference at the site of the shooting, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch disclosed Belgal's grand larceny conviction and probation sentence, as well as a pending drug-sale charge, the piece reports. The article questions the framing and inclusion of that disclosure, arguing that a criminal past does not answer whether an officer's use of force was justified and that a pending charge is not a conviction.
The article also raises questions about whether a Target parking facility was used as a staging ground by immigration enforcement officers. Target says it is not working with ICE, according to the piece. In western Queens, local officials and advocates allege TD Bank and the Bulova Corporate Center have been used as ICE staging facilities, it adds.
Among the actions the piece recommends: educating oneself on enforcement data; building neighborhood protection networks; distributing know-your-rights resources; questioning businesses and property owners about potential cooperation with ICE; demanding accountability and transparency from City Hall and the NYPD; centering Latino communities; supporting immigrant-owned businesses; and assisting families fearful of accessing public benefits.
Hands Off NYC and the New York Civil Liberties Union are offering a free virtual Know Your Rights and ICE Response training on Oct. 20 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the article notes. It says the session covers constitutional rights, encounters with immigration agents and ways to support the community.
The Deportation Data Project also recorded that federal immigration arrests in the New York City area increased 1,044% for Chinese immigrants and 1,000% for Bangladeshi immigrants last year, according to the piece.
The article states that New York City and a coalition of local governments are challenging a federal rule that expands how officials can consider income-based public benefits when deciding certain visa and green card applications. The plaintiffs argue the rule gives immigration officers sweeping discretion and will frighten eligible families away from using assistance they need, it says.
The piece acknowledges that the policies did not begin with Trump, noting that President Clinton's 1996 welfare reforms excluded many lawful immigrants from public benefits, Obama expanded deportation enforcement and Biden sharply restricted asylum claims.
It concludes that people survive persecution not only through their own strength but because others decide their lives are worth protecting, and that New York's future rests on more than outrage — it requires action.