Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) accused Target of letting Immigration and Customs Enforcement use the retail giant’s stores as “staging sites” for immigration operations.
The congresswoman made the statement late Thursday, hours after an ICE officer shot a suspected illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic in the Bronx, according to authorities. The man survived the shooting, but it renewed Democrats’ calls for abolishing ICE. Ocasio-Cortez was no different.
“ICE is a rogue, lawless paramilitary and surveillance agency,” she said. “It does not belong in New York City and it should not exist in the United States of America. Abolish ICE.”
Like her Democratic colleagues in Congress, Ocasio-Cortez wants an independent investigation into the incident and the immediate release of all body camera footage that captured the ICE-involved shooting. Where she differs from other Democratic politicians’ statements is her focus on Target’s alleged culpability.
The progressive lawmaker called on Target to “stop offering their Bronx properties as private staging sites for ICE,” especially the company’s parking lots in New York City.
“Target opening up large, active retail parking lots for paramilitary activity is unacceptable and places the entire community at risk,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
A Target store and parking lot are located about half a mile from where the shooting took place Thursday afternoon, according to the New York Post.
Target does not have any cooperative agreement with ICE or any other federal immigration agency, a company spokesperson said. The Washington Examiner also contacted the congresswoman’s office to see whether she will pursue an investigation into the retailer.
Two plainclothes ICE officers stopped the Dominican immigrant’s vehicle before one of the officers fired at least seven rounds at the man, identified by the New York Police Department as Oscar Belgal, 28. He was shot in the left side of his neck below the ear and promptly taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment, authorities said. A 5-year-old, believed to be his son, sat in the backseat while the incident unfolded.
Belgal had two prior arrests in New York City, including a 2023 arrest for robbery and another arrest in 2025 for criminal sale of a controlled substance, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Belgal pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny in the 2023 case, while the other case remains pending.
In its initial statement on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said — without using his name — that Belgal was associated with the Trinitarios gang, which is thought to be responsible for the death of a Customs and Border Protection officer last year. Federal authorities believe the suspect has firsthand knowledge of the officer’s death.
At a press conference Friday morning, DHS officials said ICE officers opened fire after Belgal accelerated his vehicle, which was boxed in by two unmarked government vehicles. Belgal was being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of ICE, when the shooting broke out. The FBI and HSI are investigating the shooting.
MAMDANI SPOKE WITH TRUMP AND MULLIN FOR TWO HOURS ABOUT MAN SHOT BY PLAINCLOTHES ICE OFFICERS IN NEW YORK
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the officers’ body cameras were recording at the time of the shooting.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he demanded that the Trump administration end all ICE operations in New York City in light of the latest officer-involved shooting. Mullin rejected the demand, saying ICE will not be pausing immigration enforcement actions in the sanctuary city.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
