Protests erupt in the Bronx after ICE officer shoots man during immigration operation

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HS investigating as city police say its officers were not involved in the incident

An ICE officer shot and injured a man in the U.S. illegally during a targeted immigration enforcement operation in New York City on Thursday afternoon, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Protests erupted in the Bronx in response to the shooting, leading to multiple arrests as demonstrators were seen blocking federal vehicles and smashing car windows.

The shooting took place around 4 p.m. in the Marble Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, where ICE officers were attempting to arrest a man from the Dominican Republic, according to a DHS spokesperson.

DHS said the man, who has only been identified as an illegal alien, had a prior grand larceny conviction and previous arrests involving assault, robbery, drug possession and weapons possession. The agency also alleged that he had ties to the Trinitarios gang.

The agency said the man was arrested by the New York Police Department on Dec. 7, 2023, but was released several days later. DHS blamed New York City‘s sanctuary policies for his release.

During Thursday’s operation, an ICE officer discharged a weapon, injuring the man, according to DHS. The agency did not specify what prompted the officer to open fire or how many shots were fired.

ICE officers immediately provided medical assistance, DHS said. The man survived and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to the incident with a post on X, stating that he reached out to President Donald Trump. He is expected to host a press conference late Thursday night.

Mamdani wrote that early reports indicated ICE agents allegedly surrounded the man and child inside a vehicle before firing. He said the child was believed to be physically unharmed. DHS has not confirmed those details.

“This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation,” Mamdani wrote. “I have called the President; when we speak I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city.”

Mamdani also called for ICE to be abolished and demanded that federal immigration agents leave New York City’s neighborhoods, hospitals and streets.

The NYPD said its officers were not involved in the shooting and were not at the scene when it happened.

An NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital by phone that DHS was investigating the incident and directed additional questions to federal authorities.

DHS subsequently confirmed that FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) personnel were at the scene and that the incident remained under investigation.

DHS criticized local sanctuary policies, arguing that restrictions on cooperation with federal immigration authorities force ICE officers to conduct arrests in potentially dangerous circumstances.

“When dangerous illegal aliens are released back onto the streets by radical sanctuary politicians, our officers are forced to make arrests at large in the community in unpredictable and dangerous environments,” the DHS spokesperson said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that she had been briefed on the shooting and called on federal authorities to provide a full account of what happened.

“We expect federal authorities to provide a full and transparent accounting of the circumstances surrounding this incident,” Hochul wrote in a post on X. “New Yorkers deserve to know exactly what happened and why.”

The circumstances that led the ICE officer to discharge a weapon remain unclear. DHS said additional information would be released as the investigation continues.

Reposted from Fox