Democratic Socialists of America urge mayor to fire NYPD commissioner after ICE shooting

The Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to remove Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and to use all available authority to end ICE operations in New York City. The group also asked the city to abolish the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group and Community Response Team.

The demand follows an incident on Thursday in Marble Hill, where federal immigration agents surrounded suspected gang member Oscar Belgal and fired multiple shots into his vehicle, injuring him in the neck while his five-year-old son was in the back seat.

"We demand that Mayor Zohran Mamdani fire NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and use every power available to him to drive ICE out of New York City," the DSA statement read.

Commissioner Tisch told reporters that the NYPD was not involved in the operation, noting Belgal’s criminal history, which includes robbery and drug-distribution charges. DSA congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier called for Tisch’s resignation, accusing the commissioner of protecting ICE agents.

Mayor Mamdani, speaking on MS Now, said he would review the actions of the police commissioner and the city’s response over the past 24 hours but indicated no intention to replace Tisch. He reiterated that the Strategic Response Group was not part of the incident and that there were no current plans to change NYPD leadership.

"What I will be doing with the police commissioner is a review of that entire 24-hour period," Mamdani said.

Mamdani also told the New York Times that the administration would examine ICE’s shooting, the police response, related protests, and any city actions that could address the presence of ICE operations.

The story is developing.