United States immigration agents have shot and wounded a man in his car while a five-year-old child was present in New York City, United States, according to the city’s mayor, police and eyewitnesses.
The shooting occurred around 4pm local time on Thursday in the Marble Hill neighbourhood of the Bronx, where officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement were reportedly conducting an operation.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said preliminary reports indicated that the agents surrounded the man and the child before opening fire.
“Early reports indicate agents surrounded (the man) and a 5-year-old child in his car before firing multiple rounds,” Mamdani said in a statement.
He added that the child was believed to have escaped physical harm, describing the incident as a serious situation.
“This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation,” Mamdani said, adding that he planned to speak to US President Donald Trump and “demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city. I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities.”
However, the US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said the officers were carrying out a targeted operation to arrest a Dominican Republic national with a previous criminal conviction.
“During the incident, an ICE officer discharged his weapon and the criminal illegal alien was injured,” the department said, adding that the officers provided immediate assistance to the wounded man.
“The individual is alive and at a local hospital,” it added.
A restaurant worker near the scene, Pedro Almarez, told Reuters that he heard gunshots before going outside and seeing several officers wearing ICE clothing.
“There were a lot of ICE officers, three or four cars,” Almarez said, adding that the man appeared to be between 20 and 30 years old.
He said New York Police Department officers arrived about 10 minutes later, while the injured man was not removed from his vehicle until an ambulance arrived.
A Reuters witness at the scene also reported that a woman standing on a balcony overlooking the area shouted at officers, saying they were “taking our children”.
The incident comes amid growing controversy over immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Federal immigration agents have shot at least 21 people since Trump returned to office, with seven of the victims killed, according to Reuters.
Critics have argued that the administration’s intensified deportation campaign has contributed to an increase in violent confrontations, while accusing officials of failing to ensure accountability for agents involved in such incidents.
