With 15 Cosponsors, Kennedy Introduces the DHS Release Transparency Act - Legislation Introduced in Memory of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, Buffalo Refugee who Died Following DHS Release

This press release from Representative Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY) was published on 2026-06-09 and titled "With 15 Cosponsors, Kennedy Introduces the DHS Release Transparency Act - Legislation Introduced in Memory of Nurul Amin".

With 15 Cosponsors, Kennedy Introduces the DHS Release Transparency Act - Legislation Introduced in Memory of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, Buffalo Refugee who Died Following DHS Release

Co-Sponsors Include House Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie Thompson, Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng Shah Alam, Mostly Blind, Unable to Speak English, and With Mobility Issues, Died Five Days After Being Released Alone in Parking Lot of Closed Coffee Shop in Buffalo by DHS Washington, D.C. - Joined by House Democratic Caucus colleagues and advocates, Representative Tim Kennedy (NY-26) announced the introduction of the DHS Release Transparency Act . The legislation was introduced in the wake of the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Rohingya refugee from Burma who was mostly blind, spoke little to no English, and had mobility issues. Shah Alam was released by DHS at a closed coffee shop in Buffalo, New York at night without notification to his family and without proper clothing for the Buffalo winter. Five days after his release, as his family, police, and volunteers desperately searched for him, Mr. Shah Alam was found dead miles away from where he was dropped off. The death has been ruled a homicide by the Erie County Medical Examiner. Kennedy’s legislation would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to notify a detainee's chosen point of contact prior to release from DHS custody. Video of Rep. Kennedy’s Press Conference Available Here Recognizing that Shah Alam had significant communication and translation challenges while in custody, the bill requires DHS to provide translation and interpretation services throughout the entire point-of-contact (POC) notification process. This includes ensuring the detainee is made aware of the POC notification option in a language that they can understand. It also requires DHS to notify the designated point of contact in a language they can also understand prior to a detainee’s release. In order to protect families, the legislation explicitly prohibits DHS from using any of the point of contact’s information for enforcement purposes. Kennedy’s legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Bennie G. Thompson, Jamie Raskin, Grace Meng, Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman, Adriano Espaillat, George Latimer, LaMonica McIver, Troy Carter, Judy Chu, Raja Krishnamoorthi, James Walkinshaw, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Nanette Barragan. This bill is endorsed by the National Immigrant Justice Center and Global Refuge. “Like so many of our ancestors, Nurul Amin Shah Alam left his homeland in search of a brighter, safer, and more prosperous future for himself and his family” said Congressman Kennedy . “The promise of the American Dream was stolen from Mr. Shah Alam and his family and community have been left reeling in the wake of his entirely preventable death. This legislation is about empathy and kindness, ensuring that our government treats people with the dignity and respect that they deserve as fellow human beings. Contrary to DHS’s claims, Mr. Shah Alam was not left in a warm, safe place. He was abandoned at night in a cold, dark parking lot, miles from his family and with no way to find his way home. No person should go through that in the United States.” “No family should be left wondering whether their loved one is safe after being released from DHS custody. The death of Mr. Shah Alam exposed a glaring failure that put a blind man in serious danger with tragic consequences that could have been avoided. I thank Congressman Kennedy for introducing this legislation to ensure transparency at DHS and help make sure a tragedy like this never happens again,” said Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie Thompson . “Nobody should vanish into government custody and then be cast out alone into danger without so much as a call to their family. This bill injects a basic measure of humanity and compassion to a system that failed Nurul Amin Shah Alam in the most devastating way. I’m proud to support Rep. Kennedy's legislation and admire his leadership,” said Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin . “DHS agents left a vulnerable man who did not speak English to die in the freezing cold and then lied to cover it up. We must hold DHS accountable for this heartbreaking tragedy. That is why I am co-sponsoring Rep. Kennedy’s DHS Release Transparency Act to bring much-needed reforms to ICE and CBP and ensure that every person has a trusted point of contact for release, regardless of the language they speak. Nurul Amin Shah Alam should still be alive today, and we will continue to demand justice in his name,” said Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) . Congressman Latimer said “I am proud to join my colleague, Representative Tim Kennedy, in introducing the DHS Release Transparency Act. This is imperative for improving the communication, accountability, and basic human rights standards within our immigration system. This legislation will ensure that when an individual is released from DHS custody,