NY-13 Democratic candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, the daughter of Dominican immigrants, posted on X that ICE is terrorizing her community and that she will continue fighting the agency in Congress. The post, which referenced the need for a more just and humane immigration system, came days after federal agents shot a Dominican national in the neck during an enforcement operation in New York’s Marble Hill neighborhood while a five-year-old was in the vehicle. Online users, including self-identified legal immigrants, pushed back on the claim that she speaks for the community, with many stating they support ICE enforcement.
In the video, taken from an appearance on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, Avila Chevalier appears on a split screen with a host as on-screen text references a man shot by ICE agents while in a car with a five-year-old. She discusses the recent enforcement operation in New York’s Marble Hill neighborhood, stating that the situation was “horrific” and “completely preventable” because “we should not have an institution like ICE.”
She adds that “this was a father and a son” and that “these are human beings that are being shot on the street,” while arguing that local law enforcement could handle such matters and that current operations amount to meeting numerical quotas. The footage does not show the shooting itself or events immediately before or after it.
According to authorities and multiple news reports, an ICE officer shot 28-year-old Oscar Belgal, a Dominican national, in the neck during an attempted arrest in Marble Hill on October 8. His five-year-old son was in the back seat and was physically unharmed.
DHS has said Belgal was in the country illegally and that agents were targeting him over a past grand larceny conviction and other pending charges. The agency maintains that Belgal moved his vehicle toward officers during the encounter, prompting an agent to open fire. However, some witnesses and Belgal’s attorneys have disputed the government’s characterization of what happened.
What Happened Next
The fallout from the Marble Hill shooting didn’t end with Avila Chevalier’s post. She later joined protesters in the neighborhood and was knocked to the ground during a confrontation between demonstrators and NYPD officers. Avila Chevalier said an officer grabbed and threw her down, while police said officers were pushing the crowd back to prevent people from trampling a captain.
Avila Chevalier has since called for NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to resign while continuing to demand that ICE be abolished.
Belgal’s case has also moved forward. A federal judge temporarily blocked the government from deporting him, and he was later taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His attorneys say the bullet remains lodged in his neck and that he needs surgery, while also alleging that he has received inadequate medical treatment in federal custody.
Online Reactions to the NY Candidate’s Post
Some users who identified as immigrants rejected her claim to speak for the community. One wrote, “I’m an immigrant, and I’m revoking YOUR privileges, you communist! Immigrants like me stand with ICE. We came here to respect the immigration law, not to watch you undermine it. Don’t you dare pretend to speak for all of us!”
Others argued that illegal entry and criminal activity, rather than ICE enforcement, were the source of harm in the neighborhood. One commenter stated, “Don’t come into this country illegally and commit crimes. Don’t try and drive away from ICE,” while another said, “You have everything backwards. The illegal aliens are terrorizing our community. We have a legal immigration system already.”
While many replies to Avila Chevalier’s post rejected her position, several New York officials have also criticized the operation. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting, while other elected officials called for investigations and greater scrutiny of ICE’s actions.
The debate is no longer limited to Avila Chevalier’s X post. Belgal remains in federal custody while his attorneys challenge his treatment and a judge has temporarily blocked his deportation. Meanwhile, Avila Chevalier has continued calling for ICE’s abolition and is now demanding NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch step down.
What began with an attempted arrest in Marble Hill has therefore expanded into a broader fight over ICE enforcement, the NYPD’s response and how New York officials should respond to federal immigration operations.
