A New York congressional candidate has drawn criticism after saying it does not “matter” that Oscar Belgal, an illegal immigrant shot by federal agents last week, has a violent criminal record.
Darializa Avila Chevalier made the comment in the wake of an incident in which ICE officers shot Belgal as he drove his car at them while they attempted to arrest him. Agents were pursuing Belgal not only over his immigration status but in connection with past criminal conduct.
Belgal has a lengthy history with law enforcement. He was convicted of armed robbery and has allegedly sold fentanyl, cocaine and heroin. He is also believed to have ties to the Trinitarios street gang. The New York Post reported Sunday that Bronx neighbors say Belgal has terrorized them, including with a machete.
One Bronx resident told the Post: “Immigration is just doing its job. They go after those who have committed crimes.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the shooting and Belgal’s detention, saying, “I expressed outrage.” She said she has urged President Donald Trump to halt ICE enforcement operations in New York.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also defended Belgal, referring to him as a fellow “New Yorker.” Belgal entered the country illegally during the Biden administration.
Chevalier’s remark and the responses from Hochul and Mamdani have intensified a broader debate in New York over how officials should treat illegal immigrants with criminal records when federal agents attempt to enforce immigration law.
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