ICE arrests in New Jersey and New York involving children are sparking protests and anger over Homeland Security tactics when arresting immigrants. Jhon Maykel Correa-Sangucho was identified as the man taken into custody on Wednesday in Harrison, New Jersey.
Viral video shows two children clinging to him and crying as Correa-Sangucho is dragged away by ICE agents and put into a waiting vehicle. Homeland Security says Correa-Sangucho declined repeated instructions to get out of the car he was in before eventually being handcuffed.
In addition, a female passenger and a bystander are under investigation for obstruction and assault on the officers.
The Harrison mayor and council offered the following joint statement:
“It is heartbreaking to hear of children witnessing such a frightening and potentially traumatic experience in their own community."
Meanwhile, in New York, the police commissioner confirmed ICE agents fired seven shots at Oscar Belgal while his 5-year-old was in the back seat of his car. Belgal survived a gunshot to the neck after Homeland Security says he refused to get out of the car.
The secretary of Homeland Security is making no apologies for the actions of his agents saying officers didn’t know the child was present.
“Oscar knew he had a child in his car. Oscar chose to accelerate at a high rate of speed and ram two different vehicles as he was, as appears to be going towards officers...The public outcry should be also towards this criminal," said secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
ICE says Belgal is from the Dominican Republic and was wanted for living in the U.S. illegally. ICE said that Belgal does have prior arrests for assault and robbery.
The shooting has sparked protests and Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called on ICE to get out of New York City.
“New Yorkers across the five boroughs are asking whether their civil liberties will be respected, whether law and order is supposed to look like a man carrying a long gun wearing a mask. We know that ICE is rotten to its core," said Mayor Mamdani.
Belgal is represented by the Legal Aid Society, which issued the following statement:
“The shooting of Oscar Belgal by ICE in New York City is an urgent call to rein in ICE’s use of force and hold federal immigration agents accountable.”
The Legal Aid Society says federal immigration agents have shot 21 people since the start of the second Trump administration.
Mayor Mamdani called President Donald Trump and asked to have Belgal released from custody, but his request was denied.