Man shot by ICE in NYC has bullet lodged in neck, urgently needs surgery, lawyers say

NEW YORK - The man shot by ICE agents during an operation in New York City is enduring "deplorable conditions" in federal jail, his legal team says. 

What they're saying:

Oscar Belgal is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and urgently needs surgery to remove the bullet lodged in his neck, according to a joint statement by the Legal Aid Society and Make the Road New York. 

The statement from Belgal's legal representatives said he has endured "solitary confinement, lack of access to food, and inadequate medical care," since the shooting last week in Marble Hill. 

Belgal's team added the left side of his face is numb, and he can barely hear with his left ear. He also has a shoulder injury, but they're not sure when or if he will be treated, the statement said. 

The backstory:

Belgal was shot and wounded during an ICE operation in Marble Hill on Oct. 8 

A Homeland Security spokesperson said Belgal was targeted because he is "a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic" with ties to the Trinitarios gang and a history of arrests in the U.S., including for assault, robbery, drug possession, weapons possession and grand larceny. 

The NYPD, which was not involved in the operation, responded to reports of the shooting and later released surveillance video showing immigration agents approaching Belgal's Honda CR-V and Belgal trying to drive away with his 5-year-old son in the backseat. 

Once the vehicle moved out of the frame, video shows an agent firing at least seven shots at the car. 

The child was not injured, officials said. 

Dig deeper:

Mayor Zohran Mamdani harshly criticized ICE's tactics, including wearing construction vests and masks, during the operation and called for abolishing the agency. 

"They view the law as a suggestion. There is a reason why the NYPD would not be shooting at a moving vehicle. There is a reason why law enforcement agents are supposed to wear identifiable information and uniforms," the mayor said in an interview with MS NOW.

"We are talking about individuals in construction vests and long guns. If you see that image as a New Yorker walking on the street, how would you know that this is a federal agent?" he continued. "I am demanding that ICE cease their operations in our city immediately, because these operations make New Yorkers less safe. They leave New Yorkers in a state of terror."

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin disputed Mamdani's claim. Appearing on CNN, Mullin acknowledged agents did not know a child was in the car, but said Belgal is the one who endangered the boy, not the agents. 

"The truth is this guy was an awful human being. He was a thug. He was a gangbanger. And he had only been in the country for three years and he had this long of a rap sheet and had been released multiple times by New York state. At the same time, he was on probation. So you couldn't have gotten a worse of a worse thug than Oscar is," Mullin said. 

What's next:

Bronx DA Darcel Clark is investigating the shooting, according to Mamdani. 

Separately, the mayor said he and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch will review the 24-hour period, including the ICE shooting, the NYPD's subsequent response, and ensuing protests, along with ICE's use of a privately-owned parking lot as a staging area.