Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of inciting hostility for political theater Friday following the Bronx shooting of a suspected illegal alien gang member one day earlier. Mullin said the mayor was attacking immigration officers while federal agents were carrying out the law.

Mullin said he spoke with Mamdani for two hours after the shooting. The mayor demanded that the wounded man, identified by the NYPD as Oscar Belgal, 28, be released and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents leave New York City.

“I’m speaking facts. The mayor speaks with a political tone,” Mullin told reporters during a heated appearance. “His words are dangerous, and incite hostility. It doesn’t help.”

The former Oklahoma senator said President Trump also spoke with Mamdani. According to Mullin, Trump offered to release Belgal into NYPD custody, but Mamdani demanded that the suspect be returned to the streets.

Gold. Upgraded. Buy real gold from $1. Store it in America. Sell it with one click.

“We arrest thousands, weekly, that are criminals and he turns a blind eye to it and won’t even stand up for his own NYPD officers, that by the way, protect him every single day,” Mullin said.

Mullin also rejected Mamdani’s description of Belgal as a “New Yorker” and defended ICE personnel against the mayor’s attacks. “You’re going to call that a New Yorker?! I think that’s a far cry. He said that ICE is rotten to the core. Really? When men and women at ICE each day are enforcing the laws that he refuses to enforce.”

Mamdani demanded late Thursday that ICE be abolished, calling the federal agency “rotten to its core.” Mullin responded by asking who would remove criminals from New York City if the mayor got his way.

“He said he wants to abolish ICE,” Mullin said. “Well, Mayor, if you abolish ICE, who’s going to take your criminals off the streets of your own town? Who’s going to take the murderers and the thieves and the gangbangers?”

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Mullin made clear that federal immigration enforcement would continue despite Mamdani’s demands. “No, we’re not putting a pause on enforcement. I’m sorry, we’re not. In fact, I’m not sorry,” he said.

“Our job is to enforce the nation’s laws and go after the worst of the worst, and our men and women do a dang good job at it every single day, and we will not stop doing our job,” Mullin added.

WATCH:

The clash came as tensions remained high between federal officials and local authorities. Trump was preparing to visit Syracuse on Friday afternoon during a previously planned campaign stop for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.

Mamdani has promoted his relationship with Trump as beneficial for New Yorkers, but Trump remains a firm defender of ICE. Mullin accused the mayor of grandstanding after the shooting, calling his response “political theater and he knows it.”

Mamdani claimed Thursday night that ICE agents were endangering residents. “We know, and I have said this directly, whether to the president or to the public, ICE undermines public safety. It makes us less safe,” he said.

WATCH:

Belgal was inside a car with his 5 year old son when ICE said he disobeyed orders and used the vehicle as a weapon to “accelerate” toward federal vehicles and officers. Federal officials said Belgal was in the country illegally and was wanted in connection with activity linked to gangs.

Mullin said ICE agents did not know the child was inside the car. The boy was not harmed during the shooting.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that at least one ICE agent fired seven rounds. She said the “NYPD had no involvement in the federal operation prior to the shooting.”

Belgal was shot in the neck and transported to a hospital. Federal officials said he had an immigration detainer and was on probation.

Mullin also criticized sanctuary city policies such as those in New York, which prohibit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. He argued that such policies make residents “less safe” and allow criminal activity to spread beyond sanctuary jurisdictions.

“The criminal activity doesn’t stay in the sanctuary cities or the sanctuary states,” Mullin said. “It bleeds over to other neighborhoods. It bleeds over to other states. It bleeds over to other areas that they don’t want this criminal activity.”

Mullin blamed politicians who support sanctuary policies for creating safe havens. “Sanctuary politicians create a safe haven for this to take place, and then it bleeds over. When we see that start happening, then we’ll go in and do an enforcement to get the worst of the worst off the streets,” he said.

Gold is the oldest answer. SoundMoney makes owning it as easy as the apps you already use.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.