U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released new details about the man shot by an ICE officer during a targeted enforcement operation in New York City on Thursday, saying he had a prior criminal conviction and alleged ties to the Trinitarios gang.
The shooting happened at approximately 4 p.m. in Marble Hill, near West 225th Street and Marble Hill Avenue. The man was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. A 5-year-old child who was inside the vehicle was not physically injured.
ICE Says Operation Targeted Man With Criminal History
In a statement released Thursday evening, ICE said officers were conducting a targeted operation to arrest a Dominican Republic national whom the agency described as being unlawfully in the United States.
According to ICE, the man had a previous conviction for grand larceny and prior arrests involving assault, robbery, drug possession and weapons possession.
The agency also alleged that he has associations with the Trinitarios gang.
ICE said the man had previously been arrested by the NYPD on December 7, 2023, but was later released. The agency blamed New York’s sanctuary policies for his release and argued that such policies force federal immigration officers to make arrests in public settings rather than in more controlled environments.
Those statements reflect ICE’s account and characterization of the man’s criminal and immigration history. Full details regarding the outcomes of all of the prior arrests cited by the agency have not yet been publicly released.
What ICE Says About the Shooting
ICE confirmed that one of its officers discharged a weapon during the operation and that the man was injured.
The agency said its officers immediately provided medical assistance and that the man remains alive and hospitalized.
However, ICE’s statement did not explain what happened in the moments immediately before the officer opened fire or what prompted the use of the weapon.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations are assisting with the investigation.
Mamdani Gives a Different Account
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sharply criticized the operation earlier Thursday.
Mamdani said early reports indicated that ICE agents surrounded the man and a 5-year-old child in the vehicle before firing multiple rounds.
He described the shooting as an “unconscionable and incredibly serious situation” and said he had called President Donald Trump and planned to demand an end to ICE enforcement operations in New York City.
Mamdani also called for ICE to be removed from city neighborhoods, hospitals and streets, ending his statement with “Abolish ICE.”
Reuters reported that the child was in the vehicle and was unharmed.
Key Questions Remain
The NYPD said its officers were not involved in the shooting and were not present when it occurred. Police said the wounded man was conscious and receiving medical treatment.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for federal authorities to provide a full and transparent account of what happened.
The most important unanswered question remains what occurred immediately before the ICE officer fired the weapon.
Federal authorities have not yet released body-camera footage or a detailed sequence of events explaining the shooting.
The incident remains under investigation.
Sources: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Reuters, CBS New York, statement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
By NJ RADAR Team