Mayor Mamdani Backs NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch Amid Calls for Removal
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has firmly rejected demands from his political base to dismiss NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The push for her firing followed a controversial federal immigration operation in which federal agents shot and injured a man.
Speaking during a media availability in Queens, Mamdani confirmed he has no intention of making changes to the police leadership. The mayor praised Tisch's tenure, highlighting her efforts to root out corruption within the upper ranks of the police department alongside a decline in citywide murders and shootings.
The Incident Involving Federal Agents
The controversy stems from an operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who shot an undocumented immigrant named Oscar Belgal in his vehicle while his young son was present in the back seat. Belgal was taken into federal custody, and his legal representatives noted he remains hospitalized with a bullet lodged in his neck requiring urgent surgery.
While local police did not take part in the federal operation or the subsequent shooting, department officers responded to public protests that erupted afterward. Social media footage documented physical clashes between demonstrators and police officers, during which a Democratic congressional nominee was reportedly pushed to the ground.
Political Pressure From the Socialist Left
The Democratic Socialists of America, along with local chapter members whom Mamdani has previously described as his political home, issued statements demanding action against Tisch. The groups criticized federal immigration enforcement and argued that the commissioner must either halt ICE activity in the city or step down.
Additional pressure came from local allies, including congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier, who publicly called for Tisch to resign and for the disbandment of the Strategic Response Group. Despite these appeals, the mayor has largely deferred to Tisch on policy execution while announcing broader accountability reviews and proposed police reforms ten months into his administration.
Sources: New York Daily News, WSJ, New York Post.
