In the Face of Trump & Noem’s Silence, Kennedy and Fellow Members of Congress Continue to Demand Answers on Death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam

Speaking on House Floor, Kennedy Reiterated the Need for a Complete and Independent Investigation into Shah Alam's Death After Being Abandoned by DHS

Kennedy's Colleagues, Including Ranking Member Raskin, Rep. Nadler, and U.S. Senator Padilla, Highlighted Shah Alam's Case in Oversight Hearings With Kristi Noem

WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than a week after the preventable and tragic death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) and his Democratic colleagues continue to shine a spotlight on his case and demand answers and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a speech on the floor of the House, Kennedy underscored the tragic and inhumane circumstances of Mr. Shah Alam's death, noting it is part of an established pattern of cruelty, inhumanity, and injustice under Donald Trump and Kristi Noem's DHS. Though Kennedy formally requested to question Secretary Noem during her appearance before the House Judiciary Committee today, he was denied by Chairman Jim Jordan. Nevertheless, Kennedy's colleagues ensured that Mr. Shah Alam's case was discussed, with Ranking Member Jamie Raskin and Rep. Jerry Nadler pressing Secretary Noem on the tragic incident. Additionally, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California noted Mr. Shah Alam's death in his remarks in a Senate Judiciary hearing. Despite DHS's best efforts, Kennedy and his Democratic colleagues will continue to fight for truth and accountability for Mr. Shah Alam, his family, and all New Americans who have come here in search of a better life.

Kennedy's Full Remarks Available Here

"Under Trump and Kristi Noem, we have seen a troubling pattern of cruelty, inhumanity, and injustice from their Department of Homeland Security," said Congressman Kennedy. "A pattern rooted in hate, division, and intolerance, with a willful and complete disregard for human life. Leadership matters. Accountability matters. And the Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem has neither. Our communities deserve a government that protects the vulnerable, not one that neglects them in the cold in the dark of night. The death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam is a failure of our entire system, and those at the top must answer for it, starting with Kristi Noem."

"You promised to use ICE and CBP to expel the worst of the worst undocumented immigrants guilty of committing violent crimes, like the people responsible for murdering the children of these angel families, these angel moms and dads who've joined us today. Instead, your mask agents have been indiscriminately rounding up any and all immigrants and citizens who your agents think look like they might be immigrants. Just last month, your agents picked up Nurul Shah Alam, a severely disabled and nearly blind Rohingya refugee lawfully in America who didn't speak English. You claimed your agents dropped him at a safe, warm location. Again, not the truth. They dropped him off miles from his home in the dark at a closed coffee shop in subfreezing temperatures. And now, because of this cruelty, this man too is dead," said Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MA-08).

"Two weeks ago, Mr. Shah Alam was left abandoned by US Customs and Border patrol agents outside of Tim Horton's coffee shop an hour after they closed in the cold and in the dark with no shoes on. Miles away from his home, five days later, he was found dead. Mr. Shah Alam escaped the genocide in his home country, just to die here, because border patrol could not be bothered to take him home or to tell his family where they had released him. When the story came out in the press, DHS claimed that they had dropped Mr. Shah Alam at a 'warm, safe location near his last known address,' your agents also claimed Mr. Shah Alam showed no signs of distress or ability issues or disabilities requiring special assistance. These are obvious lies. The coffee shop was closed. It wasn't safe and warm. He was nearly blind. He required special assistance," said Congressman Jerry Nadler (NY-12).

"Secretary Noem, before you even knew the facts or even allowed for a credible investigation to be conducted, you called Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists for exercising their First Amendment rights," said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. "And just last week, DHS lied yet again about abandoning a Rohingya refugee, a nearly blind man who couldn't speak or understand English in the parking lot of a closed coffee shop, only for him to die in the freezing streets of Buffalo."

Mr. Shah Alam, a Rohingya refugee from Burma who was living in Buffalo with legal status, was transferred to DHS custody following his release from the Erie County Holding Center. Upon release by DHS, given Mr. Shah Alam's legal status, he was abandoned in the parking lot of a closed Tim Hortons restaurant. Mr. Shah Alam spoke little to no English, was mostly blind, and had mobility issues. Additionally, he was not equipped with proper winter clothing. Tragically, he was found dead five days later. Kennedy has requested an independent investigation of the circumstances of Mr. Shah Alam's death in a letter to Attorney General Letitia James, and he was joined by colleagues Reps. Raskin, Thompson, and Meng in penning a letter to Secretary Noem requesting an investigation by DHS.

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