Markwayne Mullin Complains About Zohran Mamdani's 'Dangerous' Comments After New York City ICE Shooting

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin characterized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's angry rhetoric about ICE as "dangerous" and said his comments "incite hostility" the morning after a plainclothes ICE agent shot at Bronx man seven times while in the car with his 5-year-old son.

"I'm speaking facts," the 49-year-old secretary complained. "The mayor speaks in a political tone."

A plainclothes ICE agent shot Dominican man Oscar Belgal in the Bronx on October 8 during a targeted operation for his arrest, as he is allegedly living in the U.S. illegally. Belgal is reportedly alive and in stable condition. As protests raged, Mayor Mamdani called for ICE to be abolished and to get out of New York City.

"We want ICE out of our city. ICE out of our schools. ICE out of our hospitals, ICE out of our streets, ICE away from our kids," Mamdani said at a press conference. "We want that because we want to keep the city safe. We do not need them to do so. All they do is terrorize the city."

The mayor also revealed he called Mullin and President Donald Trump.

“Now I made clear to the president, to the secretary, our request that ICE agents leave the scene entirely, as well as the demand that ICE stop its enforcement actions in New York City,” he said, but added his negotiations were "unsuccessful."

Homeland Security has spent the hours in the wake of the shooting attempting to justify the actions by highlighting Belgal's criminal record.

In an X post, the Department of Homeland Security described Belgal as "a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic with a prior criminal conviction for grand larceny, and multiple prior arrests for assault, robbery, possession of drugs, and weapons possession. He has associations to the Trinitarios gang, the same gang who brutally shot a CBP officer last year."

Mullin continued that rhetoric in his October 9 press conference, saying, "It's shameful that we're giving this particular case so much attention when this was a thug, an absolute worst of the worst."

ICE's method in the Belgal operation has been criticized by Mamdani and other officials.

The agent who shot Belgal was photographed wearing a construction jacket while carrying a rifle.

"How is it keeping anyone safe to have, individuals wearing construction vests in masks with long guns,” Mamdani questioned. “Residents have no idea if these are law enforcement agents, or if they are simply attacking someone on the street.”

Mullin defended the tactic, saying, "When you're doing undercover investigation, you're definitely not in a marked car and uniform."

Mullin said the decision was made to move Belgal to a "more secure" hospital outside of New York, though he didn't identify where that was.

Belgal's 5-year-old son was not believed to be harmed in the shooting and is now with family.